So you’ve found a match on a popular dating site and you’re ready for that first date. What do you do to prepare?

It used to be perhaps a few extra visits to the gym, shopping for a new outfit, or something along those lines, but more and more, people are turning to the web to prepare.

While many of the reputable dating sites offer some level of screening for its users, it’s not foolproof. Finding out more about a potential date is easy though thanks to social media. A quick Google search can be a great start, but others are turning to social media background checks to learn more about who they’ll be meeting.

I listen to a local radio station in the morning, and one segment features callers who went on dates, but the person either never called them for a second date, or something went awry and they want closure. The radio station calls the other person, on air, to ask them what happened. No pressure, right?

Last week’s call was a woman who went on what she thought was a great first date, but the man never called her again. They got the young man on the phone to learn more. He said that, while the date went well, it started to turn south when she started asking about his past – specifically about a DUI from five years ago.

Interestingly, he was less concerned with the fact that she found out about this than he was with the fact that she admitted to paying for a social media background check on him prior to the date. Her defense was that he could likely be an ax murderer, and she’d like to know that before meeting him.

This is where there is a fine line in the world of online dating. It’s wise to take a look at someone’s social media sites before the date, or, like this woman, to conduct a social media background check. In fact, there are more and more people who are doing this in recent years. But, it’s not a widely shared fact – most people tend to do the background check but not say anything to their date. Probably a wise move, at least at the beginning of the relationship.

The lesson here? If you’re in the online dating world, it should not surprise you if someone does conduct a background check before the first date – this is a crazy world, and it’s good to fully check someone out. It might not be a bad idea to do one yourself. However, using it as an interrogation tool or announcing you’ve done one and whip out the report on the first date will likely not get you to a second date.

What’s your take on this? Background checks okay, or creepy? We’d love to hear your thoughts – feel free to share in the comments below!