6 Ways To Stay Safe When Meeting An Online Friend
- Anu
- September 19, 2019
- Living
- meeting a friend online safety tips, safety tips meeting an online friend
- 0 Comments
Though the advent of technology and social media has brought many advantages, it also has some disadvantages.
One of the easiest ways to make friends these days is online but do you know it has some dangers too?
There has been one too many stories of victims who have been kidnapped or killed after meeting someone they met online.
To help you stay safe out there, these are some tips you should know.
1. Do some research about them before meeting
If you meeting someone for the first time, you will do yourself a lot of good if you find out a little about them beforehand. It will give you first-hand information about the person.
If possible, try to do a Google search and find pictures and see what additional information comes up about the person beyond Facebook and Instagram.
2. Avoid giving out too much personal info upfront
Don’t give out places you normally visit, your family members’ locations, your salary amount and other personal information so quickly. After you and your date/friend get to know each other a little better and feel more comfortable, then you can share a little more about yourself.
3.Chat by phone or do a video call before the first meeting
Go “old-school” and reach out by phone before your first date. Why is this a good idea? Talking by phone allows you to hear the other individual and to pick up on certain verbal cues that may be hidden through instant messaging or texts, Additionally, this gives you the chance to feel out the individual better before the first meeting.
It’s also a good idea to get a glimpse of your date before meeting him or her. This could also help to reduce the risk of being “catfished” by someone claiming to be someone he or she is not.
4.Meet in a public place
Always fix your meetings in a public place or typically any place that has good crowd e.g restaurants, bars, etc. Avoid private or secluded places like their houses or hotels as you really don’t know much about them yet. If possible take a friend along to be on the safe side.
5. Tell someone else the details about your meeting
At least one person should have the details about your meeting. Let them know who your date is, where you are going, when you expect to be home and any other important details. It gives you the comfort of knowing someone else knows where you’re supposed to be if something goes wrong.
6. Trust your guts and instincts
If it doesn’t feel right, then it ain’t right.
If someone seems creepy online, and they’ve asked to meet you in person, you can say no. Don’t worry about offending someone – they don’t know you, and you don’t know them, so odds are they won’t take it personally. And if they do? Well, that’s kind of weird in and of itself.
