The Dangers of the Internet - Online Predators and Lawsuits Against Online Dating Websites *

Nicole Ellison and her colleagues, in "Managing Impressions Online: Self-Presentation Processes in the Online Dating Environment" (2006) describe online interactions as "more malleable and subject to self-censorship than face-to-face self-presentation." With the degree of anonymity the Internet provides, some people use this "to express themselves more openly and honestly." However, it is also true that there are people who misuse or abuse such anonymity for wicked reasons.