Online dating - advantages and dangers

Online dating - advantages and dangers

Internet dating allows people, especially young people, to know via the World Wide Web, chat rooms, online dating services, online gaming and social networks and platforms (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Hi5 etc).
Internet dating involves "meeting" virtual two or more people who have common interests, common points (school, location, preferences etc) that initial contact in cyberspace before deciding if the relationship will be continued outside the virtual.
This modern practice among adults and among teens can be quite fun and beneficial, helping the person to socialize with people who share common interests and beliefs. Some people help to build confidence and help to develop young teenager and communication and interpersonal skills. But this task can be confusing to the uninitiated in this type of relationship.

Teenager should have in mind that it is only a teenager and "internet dating" is just a way to communicate with peers that share his interests, not a rush to know the right person or sex. He should focus especially expanding network of friends and acquaintances in the real world, not a couple looking for potential partners.
Online dating - advantages and dangers
Easily influenced mind of a teenager need some guidance before he steps into the world of virtual meetings to make sure that this experience will be a positive one and not turn into a frustrating and traumatic episode for it.
After understanding the pros and cons of modern social phenomenon, parents must be involved in order to obtain control over the situation, but without becoming very nagging, irritating or harsh. Their role is to teach teens to prevent various situations and negative experiences.
Social networks and online meeting favorable adolescent initiation favorite topics thematic discussions with young people their age who share similar visions, providing a platform with a flow of information and thoughts, thus eliminating some communication barriers (spatial, temporal, shyness, physical complex etc).
Adolescents with homosexual behavior or that call Smena question their sexuality are more likely to become victims of sexual assault than heterosexuals. Reasons why they are often victims of online dating site are: homophobia (a phobia manifested by a person through hatred or discrimination against people with a different sexual orientation than heterosexual), feeling of isolation and loneliness (excitement when meeting a person who has a positive attitude towards it romantic or even prevent them logically analyze certain aspects or observe certain discrepancies, irregularities), a false sense of security (generated by the belief that no one knows who is in reality).

Benefits of online socializing
For teenagers involved in many extracurricular activities, time is a factor that prevents them from interacting with other teens. Moreover, adolescents may develop simultaneously several topics of discussion online with teens. Platforms to online dating offers several features such as instant messaging, viewing platforms of the pictures as a "share" (simultaneous participation in real time), uploading videos and video search capabilities of people in a particular geographic area.
The Internet is a place where you can meet many people your age aparopiate develop a friendly relationship, mutual understanding before deciding to attend a meeting itself as a partner if you live nearby, in a certain geographical area.
Also for those who are not ready to face an emotional commitment, or face-to-face, online socialization is more manageable and can always be interrupted. On the other hand, precisely this lack of emotional commitment is a strong disadvantage for those trying to find a partner.
This type of socialization is more economical, because the comfort of your own home, accessing free platforms can eliminate financial frustration if you want to go to a movie, restaurant, etc..
These online platforms beyond physical boundaries of the country, continent, allowing you to interact with many cultures and traditions, developing your horizons and general culture.
Online dating - advantages and dangers
Online dating risks
Online socializing has become a very common phenomenon among teens exceeding the mobile convenience. What attracts teenagers more is unknown - talking with some people you do not know and do not know him. Gives the illusion of a new beginning, for "virtual friends" do not know history, physical appearance or financial situation, factors that are often analyzed in real meetings.
Online dating is a phenomenon that has become popular among teens with sexual orientations other than heterosexual, especially because of the possibility of concealing identity and free discussion without prejudice and ridicule.
Meetings on virtual platforms offer some physical protection of participants, Only the physical distance between them, but can occur dangers of emotional, psychological. The risk is amplified when you wish to transfer "relationship" in the online environment in the real.
The possibility of hiding the real identity can be a double edged-but none of conversation partners can not be sure that talking to a teenager (maybe using platforms with webcam).
Many sex offenders find their victims online, because of the ease of approach and the possibility to hide his identity. Although there is a general rule often happens that a meeting with such attention to tranformre a negative experience, especially among adolescent girls facing violence, verbal or physical aggression, blackmail, etc..
Teenagers use these social networks and especially to strengthen the friendly relations which were already in the real environment while boys use them to flirt and make new friends. They believe that the time spent developing online relationships do not affect time spent with family or friends, but experts disagree, although it is true that sometimes these relationships are improved through the internet.
Financial risk is back online trap frequency - only people who follow financial benefits (loans, aid, robbery) or provide confidential information, data, personal, financial tips and blackmail interest.
Emotional risk is also important: disappointment, disillusionment, a feeling that you were tricked, discrepancy between reality and the image formed on the person. Teen (or guardian) must try to read between the lines to sense some discord between ideas or if the person is playing with his mind.
Adolescents should beware of online harassment called "cyberbulling" (cyber bullying). Although most online communication has a positive aspect, through electronic media messages can be sent and ridicule, harassment, threatening instant messages, e-mails, chat rooms and blogs (generally the victim knows his attacker and vice versa, but never report these actions to parents or authorities).
Teenagers use the internet for obtaining information about sexuality and sexual health especially if there's nothing to discuss these issues. Thus they are exposed to pornography (intentional or accidental) and sexual harassment.
An American researcher, Young (1997) believe that anonymity online interaction attracts more people who have psychological problems.
Online dating - advantages and dangers
Tips
The greatest danger if online dating is recorded among teenage girls and young gays.
A warning for teenagers know when a new person online can be its age if the individual was not cautious enough, though real age can be hidden - do not talk to adults, much older (a Babati 30 years can only be interested in sex addressing a teenager 14 years).
This online activity requires a certain degree of maturity and logic of the adolescent-save messages dubious, defamatory, threatening, does not go to such a meeting without being accompanied / a and if it is in a public place crowded.
A very important rule is that your child will not provide home address, name and telephone number (landline) - eliminating the possibility of tracking / identification thereof. We can not send pictures of family members to provide confidential information about the family.
Parents and close friends should always be informed when you know / meet with someone to keep in touch with how things work and to intervene if necessary.
Note: the same precautions will get mostly and virtual friend, so the most important in the development of such interpersonal relationships is honesty.
Very important to remember is that most online dating sites require a minimum age of 18 years or more, do not try to enter adult sites as significantly increased risks of negative experiences.
For a teenager interested to meet new teens his age or even possible to develop a romantic relationship with them friendly social networks like MySpace, Hi5, Facebook, Twitter - are the best options with a lower risk.
Teenagers should experience fun and learning opportunities and real interpersonal approach before trying this in the virtual environment.

Internet effects on the development of social skills of adolescent
What personality traits, family dynamics, communication mode of teenagers can be influenced by misuse of the Internet. A professor of Political Science at Purdue University believe that industrialization deteriorating value system and normal social functioning in adolescents.
Prolonged use of computer and Internet leads to social withdrawal, introversion, verbal aggression, physical irritation, explosive behavior when it is required to stop this activity. Moreover internet interferes with the psycho-sexual teenager erodes parental authority. It was found that if the increasing number of "electronic friends", users showed a reduction relations involving social interaction.

Online platforms and social meeting
These platforms allow all our users to hide their identity or certain complex physical, financial, emotional, etc.. In a world ruled by prejudice, an ideal perfect body, a preference for a high material level, online social platforms break the borders and allow free exchange of opinions and ideas without being aware of certain differences of race, social status and so on
On Facebook - one of the largest social networking platform
Facebook began work in 2004 as a social network for students at Harvard, gaining ground quickly among students of many colleges and universities in America. This platform was available only to users belonging to schools States. In 2006 the site became available to access anybody in the world (by creating a personalized account).
Most users of this platform are teenagers and students fall so safe list and knowledge of online meeting platform for young people. They can send messages, update your status, read new posts on their blogs to keep up with events in the life of his friends.
Facebook can be used to meet new young, you approach where some teens are too shy to approach in person. They are looking for people in certain groups of interest, location, affiliation with an organization etc.
Abuse in the use of social networking sites, lead to damage relationships with friends, family or colleagues, and the ability to develop personal relationships.
As teens become romantically involved, both put their family and themselves in danger - because there is no guarantee that the person they are speaking to is sincere in his statements. Aggressors different approaches unsuspecting teens, unsuspecting without much effort. Outside of robbers, bullies, teen expose some people who could physically and emotionally abused him, or just not right for him / her.
The next step: from the online world, in the real via mobile
After a longer conversation online, some teens go to the next step - phone conversation with advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are the possibility of forming a new perception of the person by tone of voice, manner of speaking, accent, how to approach problems, changing tones, the perception of vacillation and categorical responses. But this type of interpersonal relationship and take away from the authenticity of a real relationship, depriving conversation partners such elements as facial expression, body language, physical contact etc..
We recommend providing mobile number to converse with persons known online to avoid any complications.
In our century it is possible to converse via telephone all computer and internet (eg Skype, Messenger), but it is possible to identify the location of your computer by its IP check (this is possible and where social platforms).
Tips for Parents
> Talk to your teen about the dangers online and meetings with strangers or acquaintances in the virtual environment.
> Set some rules for dating love and discuss them with your teen.
> Request login and check your online profile teenager to keep the situation under control (not to be prying and blades unless you appear inadequate pictures and posts).
> Use a filtering program and monitoring of adolescent internet activity to discuss with them some aspects of age-inappropriate.
> Set a program (2-3 hours in a given time interval) for computing to minimize such contact with strangers, with a suspicious profile.
> Communicate with your teen and try to be aware of life person in a friendly way - not definitively deny use of the Internet for socializing but try supervised groups with which it comes into contact and is associated.
> Do not allow teens to have computer in his room - regularly monitor its activity. Placing the computer in a common area of ​​the house allows verification adolescent period of activity and the type of behavior and action, its habits in its virtual calaltoriile.
> If you observe certain rules violations regarding its activity on the Internet to strengthen their importance to safety and his family.
> An ideal indication is escorting teenager on a date with someone met online. It's a safety measure, not a lack of confidence - and this teen explain.
> Use software to record online conversations to monitor who and how it addresses adolescent and how it behaves in this environment (useful when her teen eliminate all the parents in his life and they notice strange behavior, inappropriate).
Online dating - advantages and dangers
A U.S. study reveals that one in three parents of teens believe that the time spent on online social networks steal the time spent with family, while teens who spend more time on these networks said they support more small and disinterest, indipsonibilitatea pushes parents to confidence in the online environment. Another study revealed that more and more teenagers ignore when coming home to parents, and parents complain that they are allowed to enter in any way in their lives.
A survey of parent-adolescent couples revealed that about half had never seen aprinti never entered their child's online profile, the kind that teenagers create separate accounts to which parents have access to hide certain information.
Study in Romania safety of children using the Internet
(December 2009, conducted by the national program course. Info)

"Internet usage in Romania by children and adults" - held between September to December 2009, published on the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2010, the research included a sample of 723 children, 400 teenagers, 234 parents and 316 teachers from seven counties of Romania. Conclusions of the study:
- 92% of parents do not know whom to call to report illegal or harmful content online child;
- One in two children with his internt access to post personal information and photos on the Internet;
- 91% of teens use the Internet for socializing and 82% for downloading music and other materials;
- 18% of teens admit to transmit personal information over the Internet and 14% in online chat with strangers.
- 93% of teens show pornographic materials as the main risk of using the Internet;
- 75% of children said that their parents have established a set of rules prinvind using the Internet, the most common being the duration of use and the use of viruses;
- The most popular social networking sites among teenagers are Hi5 and Facebook;
- 2, 6% of parents think that surfing the Internet has led to sexual harassment among children, while 1 in 5 aprinti believed it faced illegal sites;
- 48, 3%-many votes he won the most appreciated way to inform young people about internet safety - including the program scoalara;
- 70% of teachers think that the Internet should be restricted by regulations, while 60% think that this would stimulate more young people.

Saferpedia. I - is a useful tool that offers all of the safety defintitii and resources on the Internet, using computers and the Internet and new mobile technologies and means of action in case of revealing of electronic harassment, to whom and when to contact an authority to advise parents and adolescent safety internet use.

In April-December 2009 parioada Helpline. sure. info (another component of the national course. info) received over 460 complaints from children, youth and adults: 165 to harassment and abuse on internet, 110 thefts of personal data, 25 cases of fraud and spam, 20 cases of pornography and 8 of blackmail.

Regarding these types of risk in the European Union, 50% of teens have posted personal information online, 40% come into contact with pornography, 20% were victims of harassment and threats with / without sexual connotations, and 9% have accepted a meeting with strangers contacted on the internet.