Let’s be honest – dating in 2026 is a bit of a minefield.
Now, love can be found with the swipe of a finger, and within minutes you can be chatting to someone you’ve never met, who lives 20 miles away and apparently shares your love of dogs, Chinese food and chick-flicks.
Online dating can be a brilliant way to meet people. I know plenty of couples who have met through apps and gone on to build happy relationships. But behind every charming profile picture and witty opening message is a stranger – and until you’ve actually met and got to know them, that’s exactly what they are.
So, while I’m all for finding your happily ever after, I’m also very much for finding it safely.
Trust your gut
This is probably the biggest piece of advice I could give.
If something feels off, listen to that little voice in your head.
Maybe they’re becoming too intense too quickly. Maybe they’re constantly asking where you are. Perhaps they don’t like the idea of you telling friends about them, or they keep pushing you to meet somewhere private. You don’t need a courtroom-worthy list of reasons to walk away. You can simply decide that something doesn’t feel right – and that is enough.
Don’t be embarrassed to check them out
A quick bit of detective work isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Look at their social media. Does what they tell you match what you find? Do their photos appear genuine? Have they got a normal online presence? If their profile contains three photos, no social media footprint whatsoever and a story that sounds suspiciously like the plot of a Netflix documentary… proceed with caution.
Don’t let anyone rush you
Someone who genuinely likes you will respect your boundaries. You don’t owe anyone your phone number, your address, intimate photographs, physical affection or a second date. And if someone becomes angry because you’ve said no? Congratulations – they’ve just saved you the trouble of finding out later that they don’t respect boundaries. Block. Delete. Move on.
Tell someone
There seems to be this strange pressure when dating online to keep things secret until you’re sure it’s going somewhere. Forget that. Tell your friends. Tell your mam. Having someone know where you are isn’t “uncool”. It’s sensible. And if something does go wrong, you’ll have someone who knows what happened and can help.
Online dating can lead to wonderful things. Just remember that you don’t have to sacrifice your safety in the search for love.
The right person won’t make you feel uncomfortable, pressured or afraid. They’ll make you feel safe.
Author: Amie
Author of Amie's World, Amie works on Hartlepool Life's social media pages, covers advertorials, writes the occasional feature and news story!