Should I avoid online dating?

I am a 44-year old widow and have recently been considering online dating to find a companion. My husband passed away four years ago, and we have no children. My family and I aren’t close, and my husband had few relatives so there haven’t been too many people in my life over the past decade or so. I have a few close friends, but they are trying to convince me to avoid dating because they think it disrespects my husband’s memory. I don’t understand why they say that because all I am looking for is a companion. They have their partners and families and children but believe I should be happy with just a few friends which I think is unfair. They are warning me away from online dating because they believe I am the kind of person who can be scammed by someone looking for vulnerable women like me. I know they care about me, but I can’t live alone just because I may lose my savings to a conman. What should I do?
You can lose your savings in all kinds of ways, with or without the presence of online dating, because con artists have been around for centuries before the Internet was invented. It seems as if your friends have a distorted idea of what your life is like, because they don’t see things from your perspective. You can try and educate them if you choose to, but it is also your right to make decisions that drive your happiness because you alone are in charge of that aspect of your life. You are entitled not just to companionship but to love, and your friends don’t have any say on how you choose to do things. As for online dating, it isn’t any different from finding a partner without an app, if you’re smart enough and careful enough to trust your instinct and gauge people. You don’t have to commit to anything until you trust someone, but that won’t happen until you start going out.

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