Stealing hearts (and more) on social media

LISTEN: Verlie Oosthuizen weighs in on the dangers of online dating

It seems that the news surrounding social media is getting stranger and stranger by the day. In the past week it was reported that a young woman was arrested for robbery in Pretoria after she lured a man into her flat after “meeting” him on an online dating app and stole his possessions. Instead of a romantic date he was confronted by three other people who took his cellphone, as well as money from him.

There is a phenomenon related to social media called the “disinhibition effect”, which means that people will throw caution to the wind and behave in a manner that they would not normally when they are on these platforms. Some psychologists believe that this is due to the feelings of anonymity that people enjoy when online – other users cannot see them and do not necessarily know them.  

One of the effects of this is that users do not behave in a cautious manner and will not assess risks properly. Most of us would not go to a stranger’s house in normal everyday life, however many will think nothing of doing this after meeting once on a dating app.

It is not surprising that criminals are using social media as a tool in their arsenal. Social media users need to exercise extreme caution when using dating apps or meeting people that they have only conversed with online. Always meet in a public place first and keep your wits about you.

Verlie Oosthuizen

Shepstone & Wylie Social Media Law Department