What do you do when you’re new in town and only have friends online?
Dear Max,
I just moved to a new city and I have no friends.
I am 21 and I have been meeting people through the internet.
Is that okay or am I sick?
–“X”
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Dear “X”,
You are not sick… you are lonely and it is very normal when you move to a new city. It is okay to want to meet people and the internet is a great place to do so.
However, as you do when meeting people anywhere, exercise caution and common sense.
Any suitor must earn your trust gradually, through consistently honorable, forthright behavior. Your job is to take all the time you need to test for a trustworthy person, and pay careful attention along the way.
Take a relatively conservative approach to trusting anyone you meet online. If you think someone is lying, it is likely that they are, so act accordingly. Move on to someone you can eventually trust.
Conduct yourself and your romances in a responsible manner. Don’t fall in love at the click of a mouse. Don’t become prematurely intimate with someone, even if that intimacy only occurs online.
When meeting someone for the first time, meet in a public place. Start slow. Watch out for someone who seems too good to be true.
Good luck!
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