Dating online is so convenient for those who are so busy at work, those who travel for work, and also those who may not have the best social skills. Online dating has been on the rise even more and has created many opportunities for people to meet and start building relationships. As much as you have to think about finding the right person, you also have to think about your safety and the need to stay away from serial online daters. Our time is valuable and we have no time to waste with people who are not really looking for a relationship. Here are some red flags to watch out for when dating online:

• Too much texting and not enough face time. When you connect with someone online and they like to text only, you have to wonder why? Are they around other people all the time that they cannot make a phone call? It is important to communicate by phone and also facetime.
• Non-responsiveness. If a person is not being responsive to your texts or is sporadic with their responses or requests to meet, there has to be a reason why. If they only text you during the week and not weekends, why could that me? With family on weekends?
• Not Planning Dates in Advance and Not Planning Dates for Weekends. Do you guys remember the good old “Wednesday Rule” aka planning weekend dates in advance before Wednesday. There is nothing like a guy who can actually make a reservation and plan a night out on the weekend before Wednesday. That is the right way to do it. If he always wants to meet with you during the week, ask him how he spends his weekends.
• Hiding phones. If you actually met the person, and he always hides his phone or turns it over or says you guys “should have alone time with no phones” every time you meet, you have to wonder why.
• Always talks about his girlfriends or boyfriends. If a guy constantly and I mean constantly talks about all the girlfriends and boyfriends he has, and how great of a time they have together, there may not be much of a space in his life for you or a relationship.
• Canceling last minute. Yes, of course, things come up and people need to cancel, but if it happens often and close to the time you are supposed to meet, you need to reconsider.
• Con artists. Beware of people who quickly try to get all personal information from you. Where you live, where you work, what you like, what you eat, what you make, etc.
• The anonymous. If they have no picture, no real profile, and you cannot find any information about them, forget about it.
• The smooth operator. If a guy is so smooth in everything he does, from day one, you need to wonder if that is the way they treat every woman they meet.
• Going Half on Checks. In most cases, how it starts is how it goes. If the guy is splitting the dinner/lunch bill with you now, he will likely continue to do that in the future.

All these red flags aside, there are sooo many people who find true love online and have gotten married. You have to keep the faith and keep trying to find that right person. If you are working like crazy, and don’t have enough time or skills to socialize, grab that coffee or drink together! Better than eating or drinking alone, and you learn something new from everybody!