"Catfish" hosts Nev and Max have teamed up with MTV Act and MTV's campaign against digital abuse, A Thin Line, to create Over The Line Confessionals — a series of Q&A sessions with the online relationship experts. In today's video installment, our favorite internet sleuths answer the age-old question: when is it okay to give someone your phone number?
+ Watch Nev + Max Discuss When It's Ok To Give Someone Your Phone Number.
While the exchange of phone numbers is standard dating procedure, it gets a little murky when it comes to online romance. As Nev and Max point out, you can't be totally sure the person you're talking to is who they claim to be. Nev suggests video chatting as a way to confirm someone's identity. " Before you give somebody your phone number, you should Skype with them... because you don't know who you are, or how old they are."
Nev remarks that not only could your internet friend look a lot different than they described, they could also be someone completely different. "It could be your mom, testing to see if you're smart enough to not give out your phone number to strangers."
While that might seem silly, it is in your mom's (and your own!) best interest to protect yourself and keep personal information, like your phone number, private until you know exactly who you are talking to. Max backs up his bud by saying, "Before giving out your phone number, you should make the person confirm they are who they say they are."
Got digital drama? Share your story and rate others at Over the Line.