7 safety tips to keep in mind year-round

Love abounds during the holidays! Meet someone new & stay safe this season

The holiday season is a great time to meet someone—seriously! It’s a festive time of year, and when people aren’t spending time with their families, they’re eager to talk to someone who’s not in their family, that they just may be introducing to their family this time next year. Just like with any time of year, it’s important to keep safety top of mind when meeting someone new. So our safety experts at OkCupid have put together a guide to remind “holidaters” on ways to be safe — both online and when meeting for the first time.

1. Take the Rein(deer): We encourage daters to consider using their own transportation to first dates, such as a personal vehicle or rideshare (or sled).
2. There’s no place like home for the holidays: And that’s probably because it’s your special, safe place. So when first chatting with matches, we suggest daters don’t get too specific and avoid providing personal details, such as their home address or places they frequent.
3. Some people are worth melting for: That includes you! A good match won’t pressure you to provide your phone number until you feel comfortable. We encourage everyone to take their time when moving conversations off the app.
4. Sleigh it loud and proud: Be yourself! Only say yes to something you feel 100% comfortable with.
5. Keep your eggnog close and your friends closer: Make sure to keep your drinks close and only accept a drink from someone you know and trust. Daters should meet in public places and share their plans with family and friends.
6. Maybe hot chocolate wants to be called beautiful chocolate just once: Everyone has different likes and dislikes, so active communication is important when you are getting to know someone. Mutual respect for each other’s boundaries is key.
7. Report Scrooges back to the app: We encourage everyone to report all suspicious and offensive behavior on OkCupid. Our team will review the report and take the necessary action to remove any inappropriate profile from our platform.

Download OkCupid to find a holi-date!

7 safety tips to keep in mind year-round was originally published in OkCupid Dating Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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