Archive for February, 2011
http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com, a watchdog publication for online daters, issued a warning today to single parents who use online dating services. Online Dating Magazine warns parents that some sex predators or sex offenders may be using services to search for new victims.
“There are some sexual predators and sex offenders who specifically use online dating services to target single parents in order to get to their kids,” says Joe Tracy, Publisher of Online Dating Magazine. “It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen.”
Online Dating Magazine’s warning was issued after a convicted child molester was caught in a sting operation, emailing a supposed mother of two kids.
Parents for Megan’s Law, a child advocacy group, received anonymous emails that Michael Bradley, a convicted sex offender in New York, was using Match.com. As a result, the group set up a fake profile of a mother of two boys and emailed Bradley. He responded, breaking a court order not allowing him to seek romantic relationships online. As a result his computer was confiscated and Bradley now faces the possibility of having his parole revoked.
“It is the responsibility of consumers to protect their safety and that of their families, so do not rely on the assurances of dating sites that attempt to screen out predators,” said Dr. James Houran, spokesperson and feature columnist for Online Dating Magazine. “The best protection is to use your head in matters of the heart. Do not get so caught up in the excitement of online dating that you are not constantly alert – instead assume everyone online is a potential predator.”
Online Dating Magazine has issued the following six tips that it recommends single parents use when using an online dating service:
- Never post photos of your children in your profile or anywhere online.
- Don’t talk about your children in your profile.
- Don’t mention what gender your children are.
- If you’re dating someone, wait several months – until you are more serious – before introducing your date to your children.
- Run a background and sex offender check on the person you’re dating before introducing them to your children.
- Most online dating services have the option to list whether you have children. Because honesty is important, go ahead and list it, just don’t mention your children anywhere else in your profile.
Online Dating Magazine urges online daters to take a cautious approach to online dating, even though it is generally reconized as a safe way to meet people.
Why does putting our feelings into words — talking with a therapist or friend, writing in a journal — help us to feel better? A new brain imaging study by UCLA psychologists reveals why verbalizing our feelings makes our sadness, anger and pain less intense.
Another study, with the same participants and three of the same members of the research team, combines modern neuroscience with ancient Buddhist teachings to provide the first neural evidence for why “mindfulness” — the ability to live in the present moment, without distraction — seems to produce a variety of health benefits.
When people see a photograph of an angry or fearful face, they have increased activity in a region of the brain called the amygdala, which serves as an alarm to activate a cascade of biological systems to protect the body in times of danger. Scientists see a robust amygdala response even when they show such emotional photographs subliminally, so fast a person can’t even see them.
But does seeing an angry face and simply calling it an angry face change our brain response? The answer is yes, according to Matthew D. Lieberman, UCLA associate professor of psychology and a founder of social cognitive neuroscience. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Valentine’s Day! On behalf of the team at Online Dating Magazine, we wish you a safe and romantic day. Here are some interesting Valentine’s Day statistics…
> Valentine’s Day is the second biggest day for Greeting Card companies. Only at Christmas are more cards sold. Every year there are more than $1 billion in Valentine’s Day card sales.
> Single males outnumber single females – 119 to 100, creating a better selection for women in search of love.
> For the first time ever, two major online dating services – LavaLife and eHarmony are making their services free for the entire month of February.
> 73% of people who buy flowers on Valentine’s Day are male. There’s no stat as to how many of the females buying flowers are secretaries buying them for their boss to give to his wife.
> While men buy the majority of flowers on Valentine’s Day, women buy the majority of Valentine’s Day cards – 83% to 17%.
> Valentine’s Day is the biggest day of the year for proposals.
> 3% of Americans give their pet a Valentine’s Day gift.
> 15% of singles send flowers to themselves on Valentine’s Day.
