Date Online with Anonymity |
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When you date on the Internet, don't casually reveal your true identity. Unlike real life socializing, in an online relationship, introducing yourself by name and station in life is the last step you take--the one that happens when you become serious about meeting in real life.
Instead, guard your anonymity when you date online. It's the primary buffer between you and the cyberworld of strangers--strangers who are good, bad and nondescript, too. Since you will meet hundreds of cyberstrangers while searching for the right relationship, use your anonymity like the shield it is.
Why? Because anonymity is what keeps your real world safe, no matter what you do in cyberspace. When you maintain anonymity, you will also:
- Feel safe enough to be yourself--spontaneously.
- Avoid being judged by external factors such as occupation or appearance.
- Experiment freely with new social skills, flirting, and fantasies.
Be aware that everyone else is enjoying their anonymity, too: experimenting, flirting, playing games, fantasizing, acting, and yes, lying, too. By following the advice in Dating Connections, you'll learn how to get to know people well on the Internet before you meet them in person.
Human treachery is alive and well on the Internet--that doesn't mean you have to become a victim. Set the alarm in your head to go off whenever you're about to type in your real email or your phone number. Many people get carried away with the illusion of intimacy on the Net and compromise their anonymity. Continue to maintain anonymity as you begin to make friends online and exchange private email.
Take your time. Wait until you know someone well in cyberspace before sharing information that identifies you in real life. What's your hurry? Just as in real life, time tells the story of whether you want this person in your real world.
Worry not. If you feel your anonymity has been compromised, start over. Follow these easy steps.
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