What to Share Online

How much information should you share online? You should share enough information to encourage people to get in contact with you, but not so much that you put your own safety at risk.

Here are some tips for what to share and what to share on online dating websites…

Do share your first name – It feels more personal to use someone’s real name than it does to use a strange username with a combination of letters and numbers. Would you rather say to ‘hello CT4578’ or ‘hello Catherine’?

Don’t reveal your whole name online – Although it’s a good idea to share your first name, revealing your whole name is sharing too much personal information and can mean that people can find you outside of the safety of a dating website.

Do let people know what you do for a living – Your job is an important part of your life, so whether you’re a farmer, a teacher or shop assistant, let people know what you do.

Don’t say exactly where you work – If you say the name of your employer and where it’s based you can compromise your own personal data and make it easy to track you down offline. If you’re self-employed, the same rules apply – you may think that it’s a great way to get a free plug for your business, but it’s not a good idea.

Do let people know about your personality – Your online dating profile should give an introduction to your personality and what your enjoy doing. A few paragraphs about your likes, dislikes and sense of humour will give people an insight in to who you are and will hopefully encourage them to get to know you better.

Don’t share your whole life story – Although it’s good to share some information, try not to share so much that you overwhelm people with information. Extra long profiles also run the risk of leaving you with nothing new to share when you meet someone for the first time.