Kaya 959 Lifestyle Reporter
It’s 2022 and online dating is second nature. It is so much simpler to scroll through a gallery of faces and bodies. Swiping right if we like, and left if we don’t approve. It’s a lucky packet display of sincerity, desperation, coyness, and deceit.
But that’s online culture. Social media enables us to con our followers into believing that what we post is how we live. Thankfully, not everyone intends to hoodwink, and if you haven’t been a victim to it, it wouldn’t be something to expect.
So, you swipe right and wait in anticipation for that winning moment when you finally match with someone you like on your screen. The first hurdle is done. Now to engage with the match. You casually say “hi” because it’s a message and not face-to-face engagement. So you’re able to play it cool and begin the courtship.
You discover that this isn’t another character in search of a hook-up. The conversation lasts for at least a month without interruptions inside the dating app, so there is no harm in exchanging numbers.
You finally meet up for a casual date. It’s at a coffee shop in the middle of the day, so no warning signs are visible. During the meetup, you realise there is a definite spark, and the rest is history. A few years from now, you’re married and thinking about starting a family.
That is the perfect scenario. But what are the alternative outcomes?
Because online culture has taught us to share an account of our daily activities, it is easy to overshare. Information like your full name, address, social media handles, what you do for a living, and even your personal routine is handed over without a second thought.
Why is this too much information to share?
Not every person you chat to online has good intentions. Catfishing, sex offenders, and murderers are a reality, and not easily recognisable.
As an example, refer to the stories of the now-infamous Simon Leviev or Jesse Kempson.
Simon Leviev who was born Shimon Hayut began his career as a con artist at the age of 18 years old. Since then he legally changed his name to Simon Leviev and posed as the son of philanthropist and investor billionaire, known as the King of Diamonds, Lev Leviev.
He created the identity and shared it on Instagram and Tinder. His charming and very generous character helped him have both men and women fall for his charm. These relationships were not necessarily romantic, but they were financially gainful. Collectively, Leviev conned $10 million from his victims. With just a 5-month stint in jail, he now continues to be active on Tinder and he still lives a lavish lifestyle.
As for Jesse Kempson. He was convicted for the murder of Tinder date, Grace Millane.
It was not his first offense, as it was later discovered during the court case, that he threatened a woman with a knife to the throat in 2016, and in 2018 he raped a woman who he also met through Tinder.
These are just two examples that were shared through media and on entertainment-on-demand platforms.
It may be two extreme examples, but taking precautionary steps is always best.
When meeting an online date, share the news with friends or family.
Use apps that help friends and family track your location, and most importantly, communicate your status with your incognito chaperone before, during, and after the date.
Finally, read between the lines. Red flags are there for a reason. Like Maya Angelou said, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
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