Social Networking Rules in Dating

Everyone, it seems, is on some sort of social networking site. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and the like are great ways to keep in touch with people and share photos and information. Social networking makes you more accessible, but if you are dating, there are a few things you should know. Here are some special “dating rules” when it comes to social networking.

Guard Your Privacy
The first thing a potential date might do before going out with you is look you up on a search engine. So any pictures, personal information, and contacts you have may be visible. Until you know someone, you certainly do not want him or her to have access to things like your friend’s names, address, place of work, and photos. Set your privacy settings so that strangers cannot see your information.

Don’t Friend Right Away
When you first meet someone new, you probably want to hang out with them and find out all about them. But I would caution against adding them as a “friend” to your social networking site. What if you break up? Have a fight? Realize you can’t stand the person? He or she is now a “friend” and has seen photos you might have wanted to keep private, thoughts you wrote in a moment of frustration, or even correspondence you might have had with an ex. Sure, you can “unfriend” or block them, but the best way to deal with this is not to friend at all in the beginning.

Be Careful What You Post
You might think the picture of you and your new partner out on the town is the cutest thing ever, but your partner may be annoyed that you posted it. Be cautious before scribbling down details of your dates or giving out information that your new guy or gal wouldn’t appreciate.
It’s a different dating world right now with social networking, so make sure you are safe and smart in how you deal with information. Always protect yourself first. If the new guy or girl in your life is the right one, they’ll understand!

Image: sxc.hu.