My family is trying to stop me meeting my online lover
DEAR DEIDRE: MY family are trying to stop me going to meet my new boyfriend at his home as they think it’s dangerous.
I’m a 19-year-old girl and he’s 21. We met online and he seems really nice.
We’ve spent weeks messaging. I’ve only seen his profile picture and we haven’t managed a video call yet because his camera is broken, which is fine.
He wants to meet me on Saturday. I’ve Googled where he lives and it looks really posh. I asked my sister, who is 20, what she thinks and she has told my parents.
My parents say I would be in danger if I go but if I don’t turn up, our relationship will be over.
I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. People meet new partners all the time on dating websites, don’t they?
I’m getting so tired of my family treating me like a baby.
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DEIDRE SAYS: Your family are looking out for you and trying to protect you.
Dating through the internet is safe in many cases but it also allows people to hide behind different identities, and they can lie about who they really are.
Any first date should be somewhere public like a coffee shop or in a town somewhere.
Please do not go on this date. Insist that you’d like to wait until his camera is fixed before you meet.
If he’s been honest and he’s genuine, he’ll understand your reservations and he’ll wait. If he ends the relationship, then you’ve had a lucky escape.
