The drawbacks of online dating

As the use of social media continues to grow, many people have found that it is easier to meet single men and women through online forums than it is in everyday life. However, some internet daters may not be looking for long-term relationships.

A recent article published by CBS News highlighted several drawbacks to online dating.

One of these is that individuals who use social media to meet partners online may be at a greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The news provider cited information from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which indicated that there has been a steady rise in the number of STD diagnoses in the country since the emergence of online dating websites.

One expert explained that individuals may become intimately involved through social media and therefore rush into a physical relationship when they finally meet in person without discussing safe sex or sexual history.

"I started seeing friends that were in these totally intimate relationships with people they'd never met before," said Cindy Masaro, a nurse clinician at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, quoted by the news source.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 19 million new cases of STDs each year in the country.