For teens and single adults dating is one of the most important items of discussion. it seems that everyone wants to be that someone who can brag over who they met at wherever they so happened to meet them at. It's a fairy-tale type of dream that everyone fantasizes over at least once. With all the new technological advancements we've made it seems that it's become even easier to start up with dating, but really are all those websites and apps safe?

Websites like Instagram and Snapchat have been quick to make themselves widely known and popularly used. It's not uncommon that some people end up dating each other after speaking over the internet. That's where the problem lies. If you type in 'dating', one simple word, into the Play-store you'll find tons of unprotected apps that allow just anyone to sign up and start dating their 'safe' and 'reliable' participants. Though that's not always the case nowadays.

It's easy to be a pedophile in a land so modernized- which in no way condones that fact in any sense of the matter- but still we're making it easier. Teenagers on an average of 6 out of every 10 will friend or follow or even chat with whoever looks 'cool' or has enough 'followers'. Then and there lies an already huge problem. You don't have to be you over the internet, there's nothing that can stop you from taking on another persona, and really who would dare call you out when they don't even know? It's easy to gain trust from a teenager after that point, once they accept you into their friend circle online then all you have to do is sweet-talk them to wanting to meet you. Especially for young adults who are all dictated by their hormones and their desire to feel special and unique in a highly diversified civilization.

That's not to say that adults don't do the same thing. It's still common for people fresh out of high school or throughout college or even every day normal routine life, to want to find that extra boom that makes them really want to get out of bed in the morning. We all know what it's like to be in a relationship and we all know how dreamy and indescribable it is- and sometimes you think it's true love right off the bat. People are always so certain that something bad can't happen to them no matter how close it may strike. 'It happened to my neighbors but it can't possibly happen to me, that's unrealistic' or 'Even if it does happen I can still protect myself' But harassment and online stalking, all of that terribly violent stuff can happen to the average every day Joe. The safest thing to do is to know who you are talking to over the internet- never agree to meet them outside of it just because you feel like it might be your true love or maybe they just make your heart sing in ways that you never knew could even happen. It's called 'dangerous' and 'foolish'.

It's not to say that all online dating is a scam, but you still have to be deathly careful. Really it wouldn't kill you to just go out and get off your phone long enough to meet someone. In personal opinions it just seems so desperate to meet someone off the internet. you never know who they are behind that screen until they step out of it, and by then it could be too late. Don't be foolish, keep yourself protected.