Meeting People on the Internet---Is it Safe? What is Your Opinion?
Posted: Saturday, March 14, 2009
by Sandra E. Graham
My Books and Articles
Buying, selling, trading, looking for a cheap hotel, flight, sports tickets, maps, no matter what you need, you can find it on the internet. And during your surfing' you meet people-people who share your interests, people who are interested in your products, people who are interested in you. The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it didn't take long for predators to make the Internet a dangerous place for our young people. Has it also become a misleading or at worst a dangerous place for adults also?
Pictures posted to these sites could be ten years old or of someone else. That tall dark and handsome child psychologist could be a short fat child molester. Using a webcam could alleviate some concerns about looks. But as far as the person's personality and what they do for a living; well, you're guess is as good as the next's. And there are always those who honestly want to meet people; who are totally truthful about who they really are and what they actually look like and who are truly interested in finding someone with whom to start an honest relationship.
Whether you are interested in meeting people for a relationship or just chatting with people with like interests, using common sense in all situations is your best bet. MySpace and Classmates.com are two great places if you want to just connect with old friends or make new ones. But even there, one can't be too careful. Use caution when giving out personal information. Make sure you are certain of a person's true identity before meeting them in person for the first time-meeting in a public place or with friends is always a good idea.
I have found many wonderful and legitimate websites who connect wonderful people with compatible interests, i.e., authors, artists, musicians, and hobbyists of all types. We shouldn't allow a few rotten apples to spoil the whole barrel. The Internet is not unlike your community-there are a lot of good people in your community, but there are also some bad. So the precautions you would naturally take around your community should likewise be practiced while interfacing with people on the net.
Is the Internet safe? Only if we make it safe.
Practice Safe Internet!
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More commentsParents need to monitor children and adults need to be wise in their decisions. Kids should not be allowed to meet anyone without parent/adult supervision in my opinion.Thanks for reading and commenting.Sandra
Hi Sandra.Years before the Internet, my father-in-law met his second wife through an ad he placed in a German newspaper (he was living in California at the time). Sometime these things work out and sometimes they don't.The great thing about the Internet is that it widens your search base very cheaply. And as you said, the bad thing is that like using the newspaper, you are "buying a pig in a poke." Because it wriggles and oinks like a pig, doesn't mean that when you get that sack home and open it up that a pig will be in there.To answer the question in your title, it is safe and it is not. It all depends on how you use it. Your admonishment at the end is a good one. The one problem as I see it is that the very young lack sufficient life experience to always use the Internet safely as regards meeting people. Let's face it, I'm sure that some adults have also been sucked in by slickly nefarious people.Still, it is such a wonderful tool and I for one am grateful for it. As in most things, you can only do your best and hope for the best.DianneThank you, Dianne, for your opinion. I think we all can agree with that.Sandra
I personally do not believe in internet dating, and that is because of the rotten apples out there. As you said, it can only be safe if we make it safe and be cautious.Brilliant article, like always! Keep up the good work!Thank you, Mr. Home, for reading and commenting.Sandra
The internet is as wonderful as it is scary. My wife has connected with many schoolmates that she had lost contact with. I have been able to share my poetry with many wonderful people. As a matter of fact, just today someone from a university in the Philippines asked if she could use one of my poems in her Philosophy class and another from Africa published another of my poems in his online paper. (Both of these people found my stuff on SearchWarp) So yes, the internet has opened a whole new and wonderful world for me, but even I must be careful. About a year ago I listed a cornet I wanted to sell in an online classified site. I was contacted by an interested party, which turned out to be a Nigerian scam artist. I was not aware until I received a so-called payment in the mail for my cornet. I then realized that he was trying to scam me and reported it to the RCMP. When I informed my so-called purchaser of what I had done, his contact with me ended abruptly.Very good, David. You're a smart man. Thank you for sharing your online experiences with us.Sandra
I met many rotten apples the traditional way and I've met many nice people from the Internet. As with everything in life, exercise caution. Great article Sandra
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I gave you 5 stars no idea why it came up 3 :(Thanks, CB. That happens sometimes---it has done it to me too--guess we need to yell at Bruce?Thanks for reading and commenting.Sandra
Remember we are buying the package. While we all certainly have formed relationships on the Inetrnet it takes time to get to truly know people. Caution is always recommended.True, Robert. I have met some truly great people on Searchwarp, Bookpleasures, Author's Den, MySpace, and Classmates. And although, I don't know many of them personally, I have faith that there are more good apples than bad.Thanks for reading and commenting.Sandra
Sandra,Great article and you are so right. I am delighted by the wonderful people I have met here on SearchWarp; but, all good people do not exist on the internet. It is frightening to hear the stories and am glad that my two sons are now beyond the age of worry in that respect. But for the younger people -- and of course, what some of these kids are doing on Facebook? It will come back to haunt them. The problem is it's a permanent haunt.NancyYou're right, Nancy. Thanks for reading and commenting.Sandra
Hi Sandra. I have seen several episodes of To Catch a Predator, and the pitiful people and their lame excuses!! Another great article.Yeah, I've watched that show a few times myself.Thanks for reading and commenting.Sandra
Dear Sandra,A very relevant topic and very nicely written. I agree with you and every children should be monitorted about their use of internet. Already we see so much of moral decay in our society and perhaps internet is a minor cause. I say this although I have benifited so much from it thus far. A knife has the cutting edge, now it depends on our choice whether to cut a cake or a throat.Thank you once again for this wonderful article.Regards,Swapna
Really enjoyed your article. I love the internet but I too know it has it's pitfalls too, as I have encountered some my self. I am grateful to know that my children monitor their children on the internet.
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