By Nkem Ndem
Online dating has no doubt gained popularity in Nigeria and personal introductions as well as matchmaking are no longer the predominant way Nigerians find the right person with whom to share their life.
Finding that special person is a figment of many people’s dreams, however, while online dating has created an easier channel for contact and reduced the relationship frustrations well as the seeming depression that comes with being single, it also proffers a number of risks and disadvantages.
Disadvantages and 5 reasons why Nigerians should avoid online dating.
There is a huge chance your love interest is a scam artiste
There are so many scammers and con artistes online, especially in the online dating scene. They post false pictures and put up fake identities and ply on the emotions of these people who come online, desperate for love, affection and attention. They play on the victims sentiments and dupe them either by controlling them into sending them expensive gift or money, or simply by just stealing from them after gaining their trust. Thankfully it is easy to spot these culprits if you are sharp, if your love interest is making demands for money or asking for gifts before you have met them, it is certainly a red flag.
It is a cheaters’ arena, you are not the only one
It would be naïve to think that a love interest if focused on just you online, especially before you have met them. While it is possible, it is very rare. Most times, people make the heart breaking discovery that the person they have been talking to and thinking is their special one actually has their own several other special ones. Attractive men and women online get as much as 1000 requests or more per day and it is certainly very difficult to create a unique intimate relationship with so many other options available. Also most people online are adulterers or unfaithful partners looking to have some fun on the side. It is always best to avoid any sort of emotional involvement until things get physical and you have a level of assurance that the person is single and genuine.
The pictures rarely capture reality
This is one of the biggest downers of online dating in Nigeria. It’s a no-brainer, the contacts on most dating site want to put their best foot forward so they tend to upload highly doctored or even entirely fake pictures on their profile pages. They almost usually look less glamorous in reality and this is very deceitful as most people tend to reach out to others at first based on the visual impact the picture has on them. Fat people tend to put just pictures of their face, people with disabilities sometimes do not indicate them and more. People end up very disappointed and disheartened after investing so much time in the love interest and discovering that the picture they had in mind is a far cry from what the person actually looks like.
The process is a time and money burner
While most online dating sites in Nigeria offer free membership, they have add-ons and features that require payment. For instance you might be able to view a contact’s picture but you cannot send a message until you upgrade to another level which would cost a certain amount. Although the fee request also does not seem like an overkill, it can be a bulk when added up over the long term. Also, you find yourself spending large amounts of time online, quite much more than you would have had it been real life dating.
