Everything is going online and most of us spend majority of our free time surfing the net or chatting with friends. Another thing that has picked up from last few years is the concept of online dating. People meet on dating websites or apps and then connect with each other. Online dating can be exciting and fun for teenagers and young adults but it also has some consequences. Youngsters often share their personal details with someone they do not even know off and this can be scary. Relationship over social media platforms are getting more popular but what also increasing are heart breaks and negligence of personal data. Today we will be telling you about some side-effects of online dating which you must know.
Should Youngsters Get into Relationship with Online Dating?
For young generation, it is not just about using apps and sharing content, but it is a big platform to share and find their love interests. This might not always go well and you can end into trouble just because of sheer negligence and absent mindedness. Therefore, it is not recommended to get into any kind of relationship on the basis of online dating or apps which could actually harm your health. Check out the risks of online dating mentioned below.
Risks of Online Dating
1. Exposure to People with Wrong Intentions
One of the major threats is that there are numerous people waiting for innocent teenagers to get trapped in their sweet words. Some people pretend to be other children of the similar age and they try to groom the person into meeting them. There are sexual predators out there on the net that trick youngsters, especially girls into sweet talk, acting as if they love them with wrong intentions. This is called online grooming and this is a big threat to school kids. Therefore, it is important to discuss precautions and consequences that it may have.
2. Consequences of Sexting
This is a very sensitive issue which needs to be tackled on a personal basis. Youngsters have hormonal changes could actually put them in uncomfortable and compromising situations. In online dating you do not know the person on the other side of the screen, this may result to the following consequences if not taken care of-
- Bullying
- Emotional abuse
- Spreading hatred
- Embarrassment
- Low self esteem
- Sexual revenge
- Harassment physical or emotional
- Depression
Discuss this with your elder brother, sister or parents, if possible, to know the tech dangers. Do not share your personal images, especially nudes with anyone. The person could misuse it and even these pictures can become public at any time.
3. Online Harassment
The more teens are exploring this realm of romance, the more are the chances that they end up getting explicit pictures, sexual favors and so on. This could be very threatening and cause problems which could be very hard to counter. Social media, chat forums and multiple sites, etc. have such services that could actually put you into trap of online harassment.
It is important that you report any such person or content that you feel might have explicit content. This could happen over social media platforms and dating apps in most cases. If there is someone trying to harass you online, then report it to authorities and police.
4. Privacy Concerns
You always feel that you are on a safe line using social media platform and comfortably share your pictures or personal details with another person. Even if that person is close to you and do not have such intentions, the privacy is always compromised and you do not know where your personal things are going. Go for a google search for your name and you will surely find your social media accounts and pictures over there.
5. Seeking Validation from Others
Teens tend to seek validation from other people, when they do not get it from closed ones, they switch to online surfing where they find people that could help them. Teens and young adults could actually have a range of choices and options this way, but it could actually get intimate and that is where online dating could harm you. From seeking validation to just sharing your personal stuff with other for the sake of comments, likes and various benefits, you could fall a trap to someone with wrong intentions.
