Relinquishing trust to another person can be difficult, even if you know that person really well. I definitely struggle with this and want to feel in control a lot of the time. Learning Afrikaans has required me to place my trust in people that I don’t personally know and have never even met.
No one is going to argue that the internet can be a scary place. It has dark corners that you probably don’t really want to be, just like the real world. It also has sketchy people, also just like the real world. Trying to figure out who was genuine and who was expecting or wanting something more has been an interesting ride.
Using a platform such as Tinder (an app with a reputation for being a huge contributor to hook up culture) does bring some strange people across your plate. My initial “screening” is how they respond to me in the first few messages.
- Are their messages things that people would actually say to your face in a public place?
- Are they sexual in nature or have sexual implications?
- Do they respond with well thought out answers that encourage conversation?
Although this method doesn’t always work and is not always applicable, it has worked more times than it hasn’t. I believe that most people have good intentions and do not try to be mean or rude, but differences in perspectives, lack of communication skills, and the inability to convey genuine tone through text messages all contribute to misunderstandings online.
Quest For Afrikaans 