I've been talking to a person on a dating app for queer women. There are so many bad things being said about it. (1) you could get catfished and run into a guy (2) you could get molested (3) stalked (4) meet a crazy person, etc. I'm looking for some safety tips. Like ways to filter out weird people before seeing them in person(especially straight guys), getting out of a potentially dangerous situation irl, just anything useful. Telling my family before going out is not an option. Thanks.
A few things I can think of that comes to app safety are: Don't be in a huge rush to meet anyone. If something feels off, and they're very impatient to hook-up or meet-up, that might be an indicator. Also, along the same lines, don't give out any personal information such as phone numbers, etc until your first date. Keep the conversation on the app, if there's something you feel weird about, there should be some sort of "report" feature on the app. Always meet people in a public area (coffee shop, park, etc) somewhere where there's a few people around if you need help. Let someone know you'll be going out (family or friends) and when you'll be back. You can always say, "I'll text you by [this] time, and let you know how it's going." If you can, you may be able to do some kind of background check on the person as well. Most people have some kind of social media. They may even have their social media connected to the app. It's always good to be vigilant when it comes to online dating. Don't feel pressured into meeting anyone you don't feel 100% comfortable with.
