Online Dating Problems

By: Elizabeth Hannigan

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Thanks to the convenience and popularity of online dating sites, it seems that the entire world is growing familiar with a host of online dating problems. Some of these online dating problems are minor inconveniences while others are total deal breakers. If you're aware of these problems before you start online dating, you'll be more equipped to recognize red flags and avoid awkward situations.

  1. Your date looks nothing like her pictures. This has got to be the most common of all online dating problems for both men and women. In some instances, your date might have posted pictures that were a few years old. In others, you only got to see super close-up pictures of your date's face. Some online daters even go through the trouble of Photoshopping their images. In any case, it's pretty normal to meet your online date in person and discover that she's ten years older and one hundred pounds heavier than she looked in her photos. 
  2. Your date is currently married to someone else. While most people associate this online dating problem more with men who may be on dating sites looking for affairs, there are actually some women who are online cheating as well. This may not be a problem for you if you are just online cruising for casual encounters, but nobody likes to be lied to or mislead. If your date is extremely vague about the details of her personal life-for example, you have no idea what neighborhood she lives in, and she avoids giving you direct answers when you ask about her friends-you might be getting played. 
  3. Online dating makes stalking too easy. This online dating problem affects both men and women as well. On the one hand, you'll always know when your date still has her online dating profile up. On the other, she'll know you still have yours up too. This isn't a problem the first couple of times you see someone, but if you've been on several dates and you find that she still is online looking for other guys, it can make you feel pretty insecure. 
Posted on: Dec. 10, 2010