Teen Dating
Dating Sites and Apps
Teen dating is part of everyday life for millions of teenagers across the world. Often times, teen dating is safe and normal for a lot of teens, however now with technology as advanced as ever, online dating has become the normal for many teens. Dating apps, some specifically made for teens, are everywhere. It's one of the most unsafest places for younger teenagers as well.
On dating apps, people aren't always who they say they are, and sometimes predators and stalkers make profiles on dating sites to lure underage teens into meeting them.
Safety Tips
Most dating sites are used by adults to find more long-term relationships, however that is only what they are meant to be for. Online dating is typically not just for dating. Often times, adults search dating sites for long tern dating and casual hookups, but this makes it extremely risky for teenagers.
Many dating apps aren't intended for teens, but with that being said, it's easy for teens to get around registration, because all they really have to do is lie about their age and they'll most likely gain access.
Adults can also pose as teens and vice versa. Often times, adults pose as attractive teens, so that real teens will start a conversation with them, which then creates a very dangerous situation for the teenager.
Most dating sites ask to use your location so that way you can find people to talk to in your area. This also allows people to target you specifically, because they now know where you live.
Often times, younger teenagers just use looks as a way to determine who they really like, so typically if a predator posts a picture of an attractive teen, likely many teens will message them, and they are then able to lure teens into their trap.
Parents
If you find out that your child has been using online dating apps, remain calm and try not to get angry with them. That will only cause them to not trust you and they most likely won't share anything else with you.
Talk to them about why they decided to use online dating sites. You might want to also ask about which sites they've been using. Understanding and listening to their perspective might help you express your concerns easier and it may help them better understand why you're concerned for their safety.
If your teenager continues dating online, it’s important to have continuous conversations with them about their use of dating sites to ensure they aren’t exposing themselves to harmful or dangerous people.
Make sure they know how to spot the warning signs of a possible predator by discussing things like sexting, sending nude pictures, and meeting online people offline. Teenagers need to realize how dangerous those types of things are.
Many adult dating sites are filled with underage teenagers and that can be a scary situation for parents that have teens.
Yubo (Formally Yellow) is a popular 2018 teen app that's used for teenagers to make new online friends. Parents are encouraged to ask your teens if they use the app.
Online Dating For Teenagers
Are you using online dating sites or social media apps to meet people, even just friends?
Teens are also texting and communicating through online games and social networks more frequently then in previous years. Nearly 9 in 10 teens say they've witnessed other teens over-share information about themselves on social media.
While it is never recommended to meet anyone you meet online in real life, we do have safety tips so that if you decide you have to meet them, you can assure that you will be safe.
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Don't give out your personal information online. This includes your name, address, where you work, where you go to school or who your parents are. Instead, meet them at a local mall or coffee shop. NEVER ask them to come to your house, and don't go to their house if they ask you.
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Don't meet anyone alone. ALWAYS take a parent, friend, or older brother/sister. Never meet anyone you don't know alone. This creates a dangerous situation for you.
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Meet in a public place-and stay in that public place for the entirety of the date.
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Don't go anywhere in secret. Tell someone where you're going, who you're meeting, and when you expect to be back.
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If you feel pressured to do something you're not comfortable with, leave immediately.
Over 6 in 10 teens said that they have met at least one new friend online.
If you are using online sites to find possible dates, search carefully. Most dating sites have many fake profiles. Even many social media sites have fake profiles. Since online dating for teens is a lot about looks, often times teenagers alter their pictures or even use pictures of someone else. This is another way how predators lure in teenagers. When teens are desperate to find online love or friends, they often don't think about their quick decisions online.
According to the New York Post, around 34 percent of teenagers agreed that they spend a lot of time making their images look perfect before posting them on dating and social media sites. Often times, the profiles you see on dating sites aren't as they appear in real life. They may use different pictures or filters to make themselves seem more attractive and they may change their bio around to make them seem more likable or interesting