Tips for online dating

June is Seniors Month
June 11, 2008 09:23 AM
MARIA TZAVARAS

If you are a senior who wants to get back into the dating game, the Internet is a great way to get started, said Michele Cauch, executive director of SageHealth Network, a Toronto-based sexual health promotion and education company for seniors.
Here are some tips Cauch recommends to keep seniors' online dating experience safe and enjoyable.

Six rules to smart online safety:

• Guard your privacy

Don't allow yourself to be exploited or taken advantage of.

Use caution when revealing personal information, particularly your address, phone number, income and whether you own a home.

• Take it slow

You can't hurry love. Take as much time as you need to get to know someone before you meet in person. Don't feel pressured to move quickly.

• Speak on the phone before meeting

Talking on the phone helps to establish chemistry and will help you decide if you'd like to take it to the next level and meet in person.

• Meet in public places

This is an unalterable rule. Restaurants, coffee shops and parks are good choices, and you should always inform someone you know where you're going and with whom.

• Pictures can lie

Unfortunately, people do lie and can make pictures lie, too. Don't place too much trust in a photo. Just because your online date looks like Sean Connery or Sophia Loren doesn't mean they will in person.

• Online dating is an accelerated form of meeting people

You need to be careful in online dating just as in real life. You can have fun but be careful. Always use common sense.

Visit www.sagehealthnetwork.com for details and more tips.