Flying across country to take your teen to meet an online friend?

[burritos]

I guess the biggest difference for me is that we’re all adults capable of making our own decisions and financing them.

We have enough life experience to approach things with enough caution and skepticism for the most part.

The biggest concerns for me are the age, different country, inability to finance the trip themselves, any possible romantic component.

So if you were to hazard a guess on who has been catfished more, would you think it were adults(not talking about high IQ doctors solely as a cohort) or teens/kids? Yes the teen getting abducted and sold into sex slavery is a dramatic story, though possibly sensationalized in the media to skew our statistical risk apprehension. However, I'll bet 99.99% of nigerian scam like revenue is generated from adults. Though I understand that online scam and catfishing isn't exactly the same thing

[burritos]

So what you're saying is that this whole thing is your fault?

I'm kidding, BTW. In case that wasn't clear.

You shouldn't be kidding. Yes it was my fault. It doesn't if he was the one of the last to get the phone. I knew what was going to happen and it did. Shrug.

[childay]

So if you were to hazard a guess on who has been catfished more, would you think it were adults(not talking about high IQ doctors solely as a cohort) or teens/kids? Yes the teen getting abducted and sold into sex slavery is a dramatic story, though possibly sensationalized in the media to skew our statistical risk apprehension. However, I'll bet 99.99% of nigerian scam like revenue is generated from adults. Though I understand that online scam and catfishing isn't exactly the same thing

I think almost certainly more middle aged adults than kids. Have seen quite a few

[Tim]

Yeah, I agree. It's weird. Is it less/more/as weird as, "Hey honey I'm going to fly to Phoenix to meet other online/doctors where we chat up medicine(10%)/money(70%)/rando stuff(20%) of the time. Have I ever met them? Sure, through posts. How often do I check? QD,BID,QID,Qpatient,QoXrayread, I'm FIRE'd so I can do qhourly,etc....

I remember your picture of her climbing. Bring her along. Zuma Beach. She can handle it.

https://forum.whitecoatinvestor.com/general-welcome/239395-for-climbers-bikers-top-this/page2

[burritos]

I remember your picture of her climbing. Bring her along. Zuma Beach. She can handle it.

https://forum.whitecoatinvestor.com/general-welcome/239395-for-climbers-bikers-top-this/page2

Ah. You're from Socal I see. I'm trying to get her to go to a keto or low carb conference. She's not interested. She cares about financial management even less. Now if it were a peri-op conference, then she'd be there yesterday.

[Kamban]

This thread is getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

[Timparsons952]

Yeah, I agree. It's weird. Is it less/more/as weird as, "Hey honey I'm going to fly to Phoenix to meet other online/doctors where we chat up medicine(10%)/money(70%)/rando stuff(20%) of the time. Have I ever met them? Sure, through posts. How often do I check? QD,BID,QID,Qpatient,QoXrayread, I'm FIRE'd so I can do qhourly,etc....

No.

My parents never flew on an airplane until their 50s bc they couldn’t afford to. If I had asked them to fly me for a girlfriend I literally cannot imagine their response. It wouldn’t possibly cross my mind to ever ask. The idea to do all this for a young kids romantic interests is crazy from a financial perspective to 99% of Americans although I agree not crazy to 1% including docs (this is a financial forum)

[adventure]

This thread is getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

From time to time threads like this bubble up, twist, turn, and linger for a time here in the forum - I’m always fascinated, and can’t look away. Seemingly unpredictable. And it’s not really ever even the initial topic, but the wonderings the thread takes which is just wild.

wild.

[StarTrekDoc]

Hence how lounge and water-cooler topics go. Like a box of chocolates.

[burritos]

Interesting that when I bring it up at work, the staff(MA's and Tech's) respond favorably, "That's cool or How nice!" When I ask doctors, they give me the wide eye look and assume that it's a catfish. I suppose staff might be just being polite, but I'm not reading that on their faces. But I could be misreading their faces.

[StateOfMyHead]

Interesting that when I bring it up at work, the staff(MA's and Tech's) respond favorably, "That's cool or How nice!" When I ask doctors, they give me the wide eye look and assume that it's a catfish. I suppose staff might be just being polite, but I'm not reading that on their faces. But I could be misreading their faces.

Did you actually see their faces? Unmasked? lol
I think part of what threw me is this is such an affluent person's dilemma. I have to wonder if her parents aren't in a similar financial position would they think your kid is a golden goose? Or some oddball with parents who need to fly him out of the country to get a date? Or maybe this is just a nice family activity to enjoy while allowing him to visit an online friend? I really don't know but have enjoyed this thread, excluding the brief inappropriate derail.

[Kamban]

Interesting that when I bring it up at work, the staff(MA's and Tech's) respond favorably, "That's cool or How nice!" When I ask doctors, they give me the wide eye look and assume that it's a catfish. I suppose staff might be just being polite, but I'm not reading that on their faces. But I could be misreading their faces.

Polite, and it is not their money. They can say what they want with OPM.

If a "not their boss friend" had asked them if they would have taken their son to Toronto to meet an online friend their answer would be - Heck no, are you kidding me.

[nastle]

Is Canada really a different country. I mean yes it is. But really?

Protectorate of USA

[AR]

Interesting that when I bring it up at work, the staff(MA's and Tech's) respond favorably, "That's cool or How nice!" When I ask doctors, they give me the wide eye look and assume that it's a catfish. I suppose staff might be just being polite, but I'm not reading that on their faces. But I could be misreading their faces.

I'm just surprised that you would actually bring this up in real life with people you work with. It's one thing to post it on a mostly anonymous message board, doing that is quit another.

[Brains428]

I'd make it a point to meet the other kid's parents and I'd probably make them group outings to begin with.

I was young with AIM and chatrooms and all that (I'd guess something like 9-10 years old?). The internet is filled with good and bad people, just like the real world. Kids today are much better at being suspicious of others online.

Anyways. If they get married- invite us all to the zoom wedding. We will only use our metaverse avatars so no one has to really know each other.