Beware of online friendship clubs

Sites claiming to help in finding partners are mushrooming on the internet and the absence of the moral police is alarmingly conspicuous. More than 20 such sites have come up from the city in recent times with the objective of wooing students, employees, businessmen and middle-aged homemakers. The sites offer a platform for single men and women to find suitable partners for chatting, friendship, dating and other activities. While some of these clubs are earning easy money through membership fees, others are running sex rackets.

In order to benefit from these sites, one has to first join the club. Next a suitable partner from a lot of profiles of questionable authenticity has to be selected. The profile will include personal information of the prospective partner, including complexion, areas of interests and hobbies. Prospective clients have to deposit the membership fee. After that, he or she will be given the contact numbers of other members. The membership fee varies from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per month for different categories. College girls and housewives come under the lower category, teachers, doctors and other professionals come under the middle category and models and air hostesses come under the higher category. The clients need to renew their membership every month by paying a fixed amount.

The dark side of the story is that the women answering the phone calls in the guise of models or air hostesses belong to lower middle class families. They are forced to put up a fake profile for making a living. Women in the age group of 16 to 35 are paid between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 per month.

The whole business operates with the sole aim of exploiting the gullible. Many youngsters who are depressed due to various factors, including loneliness at home and academic and work pressure, are joining the clubs for solace, unaware of its harmful consequences. Later, they get addicted to it and the clubs exploit their weakness.

Psychiatrist Dr TS Rao said, “The virtual abuse of young girls and boys is very dangerous. It will result in family problems and sometimes strain marital relations. The members of friendship clubs will develop severe psychological problems in future. Our youngsters need to be protected from falling prey to such sites.”

By: Ch Sowmya Sruthi