Parents are always worried about their kid’s online activities, particularly when it comes to dating websites for teens. There are numerous possibilities to socialize and make new friends in the digital age, yet it can also be risky. The online and app-based dating world is tough and many cases reveal such platforms to be swarming with predators and pedophiles. This guide ensures that teens are kept safe from such risks and offers suggestions for suitable dating websites for teens.
What’s the dating website for teens?
Aimed toward the youth, the safe dating websites for teens are where young adults can experiment with friendships as well as social relationships. These dating sites take into account the security and privacy of their subscribers by providing a well-monitored environment. Moreover, the age gates maintained by these websites help keep predators and pedophiles out of the platform.
Although the notion of teenagers making use of dating sites may matter, these websites are developed to maintain a much safer atmosphere for individuals to practice social skills. However, as a parent, you should always be vary! Even the most robust age verification feature can be bypassed by a motivated predator. So, you’ll need to constantly be in touch with your child when they are using such platforms.
All in all, these platforms typically focus on creating a fun, supportive environment where teens can be themselves without worrying about the judgment and harassment of adult dating sites.
10 hottest dating websites or apps for teens
Finding a suitable dating app for teens can be difficult. Many creeps fill most of the platforms, making it pretty complicated to find a meaningful connection. Still, there are a few websites that stand out when it comes to teen dating. All of the following suggestions are for teenagers aged 18 and above. So, don’t let your child near these platforms if they are under the age limit. Anyhow, here are the recommended dating websites for teens.
1. Match.com
Match.com is a great starting point as you can clearly define your preferences and look for singles in your region. The recommendations will then be filtered according to your sexual orientation. Moreover, you can try out different zip codes if you don’t find a suitable match within your region.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Profiling based on compatibility, recommendations for the matches provided, and decent communication features.
2. eHarmony
If you’re looking for a feature-rich dating platform, then eHarmony is a good pick. The website itself will guide you through each step of defining dating parameters. Moreover, you can easily tailor your preferences to a specific dating pool. From there, eHarmony will do its best to give you suitable and verified matches.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Personality questionnaires, compatibility matching system, and guided communication.
3. OkCupid
This dating website for teens is one of the oldest platforms in the market. Even though it mimics eHarmony in terms of profile details and personality questionnaires, the UI is a bit underwhelming. Moreover, you will have to deal with a few fake accounts when sticking with this option. The only plus for OKCupid is that it is more famous than other dating platforms in the market.
Age Limit: 17+
Key Features
Detailed profiles, unique questions for matching, and a variety of ways to interact.
4. Tinder
If you want to avoid the hassle of setting up detailed profiles, then Tinder should be your pick. However, you need to realize that more than 90 percent of the people here are looking for quick hookups. It will be pretty challenging to maintain a suitable relationship when you’re on this platform. Still, I can’t deny the convenience of location-based matchmaking offered by Tinder.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Swipe-based matching, location-based suggestions, instant messaging.
5. Bumble
Bumble might be one of the more laid-back dating apps on the market. Even though the age limit here is 18 and above, it does allow younger individuals to make accounts with parental controls. Still, I’d recommend that you keep your child away from Bumble, as they can get targeted by creeps. Other than that, Bumble has a huge user base and you will surely find a suitable fit on this platform.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Verified pictures only, quick chats with your matches, connect over similar interests, and get confirmations for your match’s identity.
6. Plenty of Fish (POF)
The only issue that people have had with POF is that it lags sometimes. Other than that, the age and identity verification by Plenty of Fish is pretty decent. You will benefit from detailed profiles, several social features, and a different mix of social circles. The best part? It doesn’t take more than 2 minutes to set up and use POF even when you’re a new user.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
60-second signup, in-depth profiles, chemistry assessments, profile verification, and more!
7. Hinge
Hinge closely compares with Tinder in terms of popularity. However, unlike Tinder, this platform is more about long-term commitments. You’ll find that the users on this website are more about love and real feelings. So, if you’re done with quick hookups, then going with Hinge is a great option.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Profile prompts, detailed profiles, long-term dating.
8. Zoosk
If you didn’t have any luck with any of the options above, then Zoosk might be a good fit. The great thing about this platform is that it learns from your browsing behavior and constantly tailors suggestions. These suggestions can get highly specific, and you’ll surely find a suitable fit on Zoosk if you stick to it long enough.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Behavioral matchmaking, Communication tools (Inline chat, Email Message), User-friendly app.
9. Coffee Meets Bagel
This website doesn’t just focus on dating, you can just find friends for meaningful conversations on this platform. It is more about arranging meetups on a weekend and talking about some common interests. If you’re not too sure about dating at this point in your life, then starting with Coffee Meets Bagel is a decent idea.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
Hand-selected matches, in-depth profiles, and connection-driven suggestions.
10. Elite Singles
This dating website offers a dating pool within a higher income bracket than your traditional platforms. You’ll be able to find a ton of high-net-worth individuals on Elite Singles and connect to possibly pursue a future in marriage. The variety is pretty decent on this website, and you can find people from all different types of professions when sticking with Elite Singles. However, keep in mind that most of the audience on these platforms is around 35 to 40 years of age.
Age Limit: 18+
Key Features
These users are highly educated and expect high-quality profiles from other professionals.
Dangers of online dating for teens
Online dating can be a fun and exciting way for teens to meet new people but it also comes with risks. Luckily, the risks associated with teen dating can be mitigated and minimized by getting secure dating for teens. Here are a few things that you should be especially mindful of regarding teen dating websites.
- Privacy: Posting personal details on these websites could compromise your teen’s privacy. Most of the time, kids aren’t that focused on protecting their privacy. Teens can be especially dumb when it comes to trusting strangers online. Sadly, these teens don’t realize that strangers can exploit their personal data for blackmail and real-life interactions.
- Catfishing and Fake Profiles: Some people can create fake profiles to fool others. Your teen needs to pay attention to questionable actions and tell you about such profiles.
- Predatory Behavior: As with all social platforms, online dating websites for teens can sometimes draw unscrupulous individuals. To protect teens, they must be safe and be able to spot predatory manners. So, it is best that you educate them early on.
- Cyberbullying and Harassment: Given the relatively explicit nature of interactions, cyberbullying on dating sites is not uncommon. The problem is that teenagers need to know how they might deal with it and what approach can be taken. Keep in mind that cyberbullying leads to serious mental health and self-esteem problems.
- Negative effect on emotional well-being: Even though you have your child’s best in mind, that isn’t the case for all the strangers they find on dating websites. Sometimes, rejection can be too hard on these teenagers, and it can take hours for their self-esteem to recover. So, you need to constantly help your child maintain their emotional stability.
Bouns: Safety tips for teens using dating websites or apps
It is very important to use dating websites or apps safely. Here are some useful safety tips for kids to review:
- Age Verification: When dating, make sure always to use websites that confirm the ages of their users and put you in contact with individuals who are your age. It keeps your privacy safe by verifying your age and reduces the need for direct interaction with predators.
- Keep it Light on Personal Information: Don’t give away your home address, phone number, or school name.
- Adjust profile visibility: Utilize the extreme privacy settings of a dating app which can help you to check when your profile is visible or invisible.
- Meet in a Public Place: If you arrange that face-to-face meeting; meeting in a popular location minimizes the odds of anything bad happening.
- Listen to your gut: If you have a weird feeling about something, do not go with it!
- Talk to Parents: Always be upfront with your parents about who you are chatting with online and ask for their help whenever required. Parental guidance will give added safety as well as perspective.
- Do Not Share Inappropriate Content: Never upload your intimate or inappropriate photos/videos. The presence of inappropriate content can and will be used to blackmail you or disseminated in various ways without your consent.
- Always report suspicious activity: All dating apps have mechanisms in place to allow you to block and report users who are acting out of line. Please use them to help us make the platform a safe place for all.
As long as you’re being mindful about all the things I’ve listed above, you’ll be in the green. Everything comes down to being more cautious about your personal details and never meeting anyone until they have your complete trust.
How do parental control apps enhance safety on teen dating websites?
Parental control apps can provide a great online safety measure for teenagers on dating sites. Also, these apps are pretty easy to use and you don’t have to be a technical genius to set up such tools. I always recommend FlashGet Kids to parents who want to keep their children safe in the online dating world. So, if you’re also a concerned parent, starting out with this app might just be the right pick.
- Track social media activity
You can set up keyword detectors and use advanced tools like screen mirroring from FlashGet Kids to track your child’s social media activity. Moreover, this tool will help you track and block certain apps that your child shouldn’t use.
- Screen time management
Screen management is a key part of staying connected while keeping up with offline life. Parental control apps track the time spent by teenagers on dating websites and other online portals to ensure that they are not overexposed.
Another important parental control feature is location tracking, which you might need if your teen heads out to meet someone they met online. This ensures that you are aware of your kid, and it also gives you peace knowing where they are & if they are safe. Moreover, it can also provide an additional level of safety by allowing parents to confirm that the teenager is where they claim to be.
- Communication monitoring
By being aware of the discussions your teen is having on dating sites, you can detect if there are any red flags or dangerous situations. Like, you can set up a notification tracker within FlashGet Kids to see all the messages your child gets on their phone. This feature will at least help you keep your child safe from predators.
Conclusion
Dating websites for teens are pretty popular these days, but they carry a ton of risk. Even though you’ll find a lot of teens looking for these platforms to hook up or to meet new people, only a few care about their safety on such websites. So, it is your job as a parent to keep your child safe. I’d recommend that you rely on parental control tools like FlashGet Kids and educate your child about the dangers of teen dating websites. Otherwise, your child might suffer from self-esteem issues or get targeted by strangers who want to exploit your kid.
