Con: Is online Dating safe?

Online dating removes needed social interaction from process
Erin Pradia
September 19, 2011

The age of technology has increased speed and convenience, but it has brought its own variety of spam and scams.

While many people testify they found happiness through online dating services, do your chances of finding love outweigh the risk of potential danger of running into a scam or an online predator?

Mary Cay Barker, 48, of Victoria, met her husband of 18 years at college.

"I think there are concerns with dating in any setting," Barker said. "The concerns are just different dating online."

Barker said presenting a different persona online is easier than it is when interacting with someone face-to-face in some other social setting.

Cameron Gomez, 21, of San Marcos, who was visiting friends in Victoria over Labor Day weekend, agreed.

"I think it's a bad idea to date online because you don't know who a person really is until you meet them in-person," Gomez said. "You are basically just talking with a computer."

Gomez said the same setbacks apply with any kind of social networking, including Facebook or Myspace.

"It is hard to even be friends with someone you've never met," Gomez said. "I mean, they could say, 'I'm outgoing,' or 'I love the world,' but how do you really know if you don't have any personal interaction with them?"

Jeanna Bryner in an article for Live Science said online dating can set unrealistic expectations that are shattered when a couple meets in-person.

Michael Norton, of Harvard Business School, conducted a study with his colleagues to target why couples were dissatisfied with online dating.

"We were working with a couple of online dating companies who were finding that their users got very unhappy very quickly with online dating. And the question was why," Norton said. "Inevitably, I'm going to find something we don't agree on. And as soon as I find that one thing, then things start to cascade so everything else I learn about you suddenly now feels like more evidence that we are dissimilar and we don't get along."

Original link: http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2011/sep/18/ep_con_online_dating_091911_151642/?print

Older women lack important information about sexual health

Many women over 50 years old date and are sexually active and thereby face many possible health risks. Yet, most educational campaigns designed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases target younger generations. Older women also need and want more information about sexual health and wellness. A study in the new special issue of the Journal of Consumer Affairs on older consumers found a critical need for improving communication between older women and their physicians about sexual health and for providing these women with tools on how to negotiate with partners about safe sex practices.

Dr. Cynthia Morton and her colleagues at the University of Florida examined women's knowledge about sexual health and their concerns about safe sex practices as they continue to pursue active sex lives into their senior years. Women aged 50 years and older participated in focus group discussions to talk about the challenges in finding male partners, negotiating condom use, and seeking credible information sources to help them make the best decisions about sexual health.

Results of the study revealed that older women are aware of the risks for sexually transmitted diseases yet are uncomfortable about seeking sexual health information from their regular physicians who may erroneously believe that they already possess the knowledge. Although older women know the importance of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases, they may avoid negotiating condom use with their partners in an effort to avoid conflict or rejection. Senior-aged women are receptive to strategies that give them tools for negotiating with partners and for communicating with their physicians, but there are limited resources directed to their age group.

"The findings generated from our research offer a rich foundation for better understanding the motivations and concerns that influence senior-aged women's attitudes about dating at their present stage of life," said Morton.

According to the authors, efforts are needed to help older women gain confidence to talk with primary care physicians about sexual health and to make those physicians aware of their need. The authors also call for social marketing campaigns that aim to educate older women about their sexual health risks and encourage them to take greater ownership in the negotiation of safe sex practices with their partners.

Original source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/w-owl091211.php

SilverSparks Speed Dating Event Huge Success

September 10, 2011

On the afternoon of September 6th, close to 20 older adults and seniors gathered at the Duke of York in Toronto Ontario for the kick off of SilverSparks Speed Dating for 60-75. Participants registered and received a clipboard and name tag before they took their seats at their assigned starting tables. With the instructions provided and with the words “go”, the speed daters began their 6 minute intervals of talk time with their table partners.

The event was a huge success! Both the men and women were undeniably engaged and interested in their “dates.” There was a din of conversation punctuated by periodic laughter as chemistry sparked. With each “ting” of the glass, the men moved from one table to the next, while the women stayed in their assigned place. As the daters met and talked with each other, they were asked to check off a yes or a no as to whether they were interested in their specific date. They were also encouraged to write notes about each man or woman in order to remember some detail after the event was over. After the fifth round of dates, appetizers were served by the terrific staff at the Duke of York (Thanks to Candace, Mark and Jeb).

The results of the event showed that there was definite chemistry amongst the daters. Out of 18 speed daters, 15 got a match—over 80% matching success! Contact information was forwarded to only those that struck a mutual match. The feedback results were all positive and gave high praise for the event itself, venue and many reported that they would attend another event and recommend it to a friend. Also, all the participants filled in the in the Post Date Check In form—a unique built in safety feature offered only by SilverSparks.

Such a high success rate is encouraging to SilverSparks organizers. Whether participants in fact met a match for a long term relationship remains to be seen, but the experience was fun, exciting, and unique for all the speed daters involved.
The success of the event is a further indication that mature adults are indeed looking for companionship, romance and intimacy. With speed dating events happening all over the western world, very few if any are geared to the specific demographic of 60+.

Most importantly, we’d like to thank all our sponsors who made this event possible and also helped promote it across the GTA: Senior Tours Canada, Comfort Life Magazine, Silver and Gold Magazine, LinkingBoomers.com, Art Gallery of Ontario and DanCap Productions

Be sure to check out website www.silversparksdating.com for more details on the next SilverSparks Speed Dating event or call 647-831-6630. You can also like our Facebook page and follow our Twitter feed at @MicheleSHN


Zoe Hawkins
SageHealth Network