With websites and applications such as Tinder, Bumble, EHarmony, Ok Cupid and Match.com, it’s fair to say there are a lot of dating websites in this day and age. For college students, online dating provides opportunity for students to search for that special someone. However it is important to know the risks involved with these sites and learn to practice safety when cruising for cuties.
On March 19, the Winthrop Health and Counseling services hosted an event in Owens called “Safe Swiping: Online Dating Safety.” The event’s goal was to inform students at Winthrop University about the potential risks involved with online dating and provide tips about how to stay safe while looking for love online. Office of Victim’s Assistance case manager Jazmine Diamond commented on how online dating is trending with college students today.
“I think that online dating is a normal part of the current college experience. Online dating can be a time to explore curiosity, make connections, and interact with the new city around you. With that being said, thinking about your safety is crucial in the online dating process,” Diamond said.
While the program provided advantages to online dating, there were a couple of risks involved when choosing who you interact with which can be overwhelming to people.
“There is risk involved with any type of dating. Specifically in relation to online dating there are risks in the authenticity of the people on the sites. People are not always who they appear to be and may have alternative motives. Some common motives include scamming, trafficking and catfishing,” Diamond said.
One of the important points in the program was the use of consent in dating and how it can be both verbally and non-verbally communicated between both parties. Following a video that discussed consent as making a cup of tea and another where a person tries to take someone else’s cup of coffee without asking, the Office of Victim’s Assistance focused on discussing how to teach consent to the audience.
“Consent is the most important thing in any relationship. Consent is simply the concept of gaining permission to do anything with anybody. Consent creates respect and boundaries in relationships that people deserve,” Diamond said.
Besides giving advice on consent and being safe when on dates, the presentation focused more on how students can practice safe sex without contracting a sexually transmitted disease through communication and use of condoms.
“There are several ways students can learn about safe sex and relationships. You can do research online about safe sex and relationships, talk to our wellness coordinator or connect with a counselor to talk about deep relational problem if you need to,” Diamond said.
Finally, the presentation discussed how the Office of Victims Assistance and Health and Counseling at Winthrop can help college students in the event of sexual assault while in relationships.
“The Office of Victims Assistance has expanded their services to provides direct services to survivors of major crimes including, but not limited to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, bullying and bias crime as well as campus-wide educational programming to prevent these crimes from occurring,” Diamond said.
With the combined items of knowledge and safety in dating and safe sex, it can allow all college students to explore romance and form new relationships while balancing their school life.
“I think online dating in this age is good because online dating creates access to more potential people than your immediate connections,” Diamond said.
To learn more about consensual dating, assistance with safe sex and help in case of sexual assault, visit the Winthrop Health and Counseling in the Crawford Building.
