Online Dating: Is it for You?
Online dating has grown in popularity over the past few years. If you are interested in meeting someone new via the internet, there are literally hundreds of sites to choose from. They range from free to quite expensive and the services they provide vary widely as well.
One of the first things you have to decide is whether or not online dating is right for you. My little sister, a senior in college, has not yet met Mr. Right. In a recent conversation, she was telling me how worried she was that she’ll soon be entering the work force full time without even a casual boyfriend. She’s afraid that her available pool of potential dating partners is going to wither away to nothing.
I suggested that she try eHarmony if she was interested in finding someone and her exact words to me were, “I’m not that desperate…yet!” I think her feelings are common amongst those that are considering online dating as an option. A lot of people still see a stigma attached with meeting someone online. Maybe they feel that resorting to the internet means that they can’t find someone the “traditional” way.
I don’t see it that way at all. I think that online dating actually opens up the potential to meet great people that you may have never met any other way. The internet has the ability to connect us to people all over the world. Online dating may allow you to meet someone – even in your own town – whose path you would not have crossed otherwise.
Choosing to go online has also become a choice for many because they simply don’t have the time to meet people any other way. Many adults have demanding careers and it’s simply not as easy to get out to meet people as it once was.
Safety is also a concern when considering online dating, and this is one that concerns me a little bit as well. However, if you decide to go the internet route, making sure that you follow standard online safety suggestions such as not giving out your real name, phone number, or address and meeting someone in a public location at first, the safety issue shouldn’t stop you from what could be a very rewarding opportunity to meet someone new. While everyone should be cautious, the fact is that most people on dating sites are generally decent people who are just looking for that someone special.
In short, if you are too busy or just not at a stage in your life where it’s likely that you’ll meet Mr. Right, then using an online dating site can be a great choice for you. Another advantage for women is that there are typically many more men than women online – so we have lots more choices!
I actually used an online dating service once and while I found my dream guy through another avenue, I did end up meeting some really nice guys, a few of whom I am still friends with today. And two years ago, I attended my cousin’s wedding, she was married to a guy she met on eHarmony!
Please, check back, or consider signing up for updates as we’ll soon be giving in-depth information and reviews on many of the most popular dating sites.
