Are all the psychos really online?

You’ve heard the words before, right? Having shared with friends and relatives that you have found a close friend or love interest online, everybody advices you to be extra careful. Don’t just be careful as you are “in real life” but be “extra careful” – the internet is dangerous. A recent study has found, though, that people behave in very much the same way online as they do in the outside world.
 

For example, take a very active and adventurous person – let’s say it’s a man just to make it easier. He is likely to brag about his activities; maybe he climbs mountains or something like that – he’s likely to post lots of pics of himself climbing mountains then. He’s likely to downplay past relationships, perhaps not even mention them – because being an adventurous person, he’s probably had what the regular person considers a few partners too many. It doesn’t look good. Another example is the shy person – he or she is also likely to add on a little half-truths to make their life look more interesting but he or she is more likely to be honest about past relationships. Perhaps there is only one or two.

The point, according to the article, is that people behave the same everywhere, be it online or offline. I don’t know if you can say that in general but I do believe there’s a lot of truth to it: An idiot online is an idiot offline, a psycho online is a psycho offline, a nice person is a nice person regardless.

If you use the same safety measures online as you do offline, the internet is not more dangerous than other places. It’s become the norm to meet someone online. It is no longer the creepy losers who seek love online. What’s the difference between meeting someone online and meeting someone in a club or at the supermarket? If he wants to lie, he will do so online AND offline. All you need to do is be careful – anywhere you meet someone. They always say “never give out your address or post photos of your children in the bath .. never show that online”. Well – DUH. Would you walk up to a stranger and hand them your address and a slide of your kids in the bathtub? Of course not. The web is certainly full of creepy characters – but so is the “real” world. The web is us, all of us combined together – just as the real world is.

According to the study I mentioned before, the risk of someone misrepresenting themselves online is quite low.

Another interesting thing the study shows is that there are not as many differences between the sexes when they present themselves online. The difference lies more in individuals than the sexes.

Let me just take myself as an example here. I suffer from tremendous trust issues – I have no idea how I will ever begin to trust a man again. This is not, however, because I have met a nice guy online. Had I bumped into him at the store or anywhere else, my insecurities would be exactly the same.

How do you feel about online versus offline relationships? Which one is “safer”? Is the net really extra dangerous?

I’m not telling anyone to not be on guard, whether it be online or offline.

The internet is a big pool of cheaters, users, psychos, molesters, liars.
But remember, it’s also a big pool of lovely people, helpful people, kind people, friendly people and people who are gentle and loving in an honest way.

Just like the world outside your window.