Teens should stay away from online dating

By Kendall Vaughn

Reporter

Anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent of people who use online dating apps lie about themselves on their profile. According to Fascinate.com, the most common lies are about people’s age, occupation, height, weight, and income.

Online dating is an innovative way for many to meet new people without leaving the comforts of their home. According to Forbes.com, in 2013, there were more than 2,500 dating sites in the United States alone. An estimated 1,000 new online dating sites open every year. That would mean that there are currently over 8,500 dating sites available. Most online dating sites have an age policy of being 18 and older, but that won’t stop minors from joining.

“A reason as to why people under the age 18 might join a dating site is because they want the attention. They want somebody to tell them all of these good things and how they love them possibly because they are not getting that same attention at home. They can also hide behind a screen and not totally be their real selves,” said sophomore Amber Johnson.

Though there are many good things that come out of dating sites, there are also bad things. On free dating sites, 1 in 10 users are scammers, about 10 percent of sex offenders use dating sites and every year, 16,000 abductions, 100 murders, and thousands of rape cases are committed by online predators all according to Datingadvice.com. Predators look for lonely, vulnerable people because they are an easy target. It’s also easy to trick the victim if the predator makes their profile generally pleasing, like using a good looking person's photo and saying things about themselves that aren’t true.

“People are hiding their true identities and catering to vulnerable young kids who shouldn’t even be on dating sites. That’s why parents should make sure their kids are doing safe things even when they aren’t being watched. Some people just focus too much on dating. They want to rely on someone,” said sophomore Ajia Stallworth.

Although these websites may help those over 18 find meaningful relationships, it makes it too easy for predators to specifically target minors just by now knowing some common interests.

“I think having certain websites for specific people is both good and bad. It helps non-predators have a good time finding people they have interests with but it’s still dangerous,” said sophomore Sydney Staples.