By Sava Hassan (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-13 07:24

Have you ever ventured into the dangerous zone of cyber dating? If you did, you would agree with my assessment of the phenomenon.

You probably have tried, heard or read about the game of dating online. Calling it a jungle is a justifiable terminology. It would be unfair to describe all users of cyber dating in despicable terms, because there are still decent and honest people who refer to the medium as a last resort to find their partners.

However, one should never trust or believe anything that is exchanged through the Internet particularly in the dating game.

One may encounter men who pretend to be members of the gentle gender to con others of their hard earned fortunes, women impersonating men to satisfy a hidden desire of having fun, individuals who lie about their ages, nationalities, religions, careers, financial and marital status or women who post fake photos or the ones that were taken decades ago.

The fundamental question should focus on means, other than the Internet, that one can refer to find the love of one's life.

Today, most people are suffering from the lack of sufficient time to search for members of the opposite gender. With the hectic lifestyles that we are leading, human beings have no time to socialize, to visit family and friends.

Consequently, the opportunities to encounter single individuals have diminished. Computers and the popularity of the Internet have contributed a great deal to the feeling of loneliness that has become a symptom of living in modern societies.

Attempting to go with the flow, most singles refer to the dating sites on the Internet to find their partners. That has led to the awakening of devious desires of individuals to seize the opportunity to play with the emotions of single men and women.

Thousands of dating websites have been established online. Men and women have become too available which has led to being vulnerable, to be taken advantage of, by those who have no human dignity.

Am I suggesting that one should abstain from using the dating sites on the Internet? Of course, I am not eliminating online dating as means to combat one's feeling of loneliness despite the fact that it is risky.

However, one should be cautious on approaching others on those sites. Take the time to discover each other. Do not be naive enough to give all your pertinent details. Attempt to investigate a dating site before becoming a member. Try to have realistic expectations pertinent to finding your partner.

The author is a Canadian Egyptian educator

(China Daily 03/13/2008 page10)