What is it with this guy? Is it because i'm 17?

[Paige]

All right, I'm going to address the online issue first, because everyone here so far has offered a negative opinion, so I feel obligated to give a positive one...

I met my boyfriend online. I also met him through a game. We started out as friends, slowly started to develop feelings, talked for hours every day, knew each other for almost a year before we met... I knew a lot about him. But I was still cautious in the beginning. For example, I refused to give out my number or much personal information at all until we took our talking out of the game and had been emailing back and forth for a couple months.

We talked on the phone, he showed me several pictures of himself, identification, another friend had him on Facebook and said it was legit, his photos matched up with stories he told me, we never Skype'd but he expressed a heavy interest in Skyping... and I just knew he was real. I was in love with him (and still am), so I went for it. I met him. I knew he was the one and only person I wanted to be with. There was no one else.

We hit it off. I don't have a single regret meeting him in person and am very, very happy that I did. I took a chance on love, and I know if I didn't take that chance with him, I most likely wouldn't be as happy as I am now, and my life would be very different.

Of course, as other people have said, there are dangers and creepy people out there. But serious cases to the point of murder, etc. are extreme. Should you be scared of driving or riding in a car just because other people have gotten in a car accident? No. Of course not. You wouldn't let that knowledge stop you from driving. In my opinion, there's no difference between that and talking to and potentially meeting someone online. Everyone is different. Every situation is different. If you are cautious, there is no need to worry.

I would wait until you're at least 18 to meet him. It will give you more time to get to know him and his true intentions, and as you're still a minor now, I'm not sure your parents would be too keen on the idea of traveling to another country to meet a man you've never met in person, and they could force you to cut contact with him now.

Now about the actual relationship issue... It sounds like you might need to talk to him about how he feels about you. He could be holding his feelings back because you're still a minor or because of the distance, or he could be really interested in you, or possibly he only sees you as a friend. On the Internet, it can be hard to tell what exactly people mean, so if you are serious about this guy, you MUST be clear so you don't have miscommunication.

Maybe just tell him you like him and see what he says to that. If you're still confused, I would just ask him directly how he feels about you because you feel like he's giving you mixed signals. The worst he can say is that he doesn't like you that way, and you will probably be hurt, but at least then you'll know the truth.

I do hope he likes you though and maybe it can work one day. If you do plan to meet him, make sure it is in a public place, and make sure someone knows where you're going and who you're planning to meet.

Relationships online are no different from real life in the sense that anyone can be who they want to be. Anyone can pretend or hide something about themselves, no matter how you meet. The Internet only allows people to do that more easily than the real world. Yes, some people lie completely about themselves, but many others are just like you and are honest about who they are. There are risks everywhere, but those shouldn't slow us down. When it comes to dating, the Internet is simply a different way to meet new people.

Just remember to stay safe, be smart, and make sure this is what you really want to do. Also make sure you two are on the same page with your feelings.

Best of luck!