Online Dating
With the emergence of internet has arrived another phenomenon called online dating. We were familiar with dating but online dating changed the definition of dating to a great extent. Not only has it changed but it has added another dimension to the dating.
Online dating has several advantages such as:
- Successful relationship conversion; Numerous testimonials have related stories of genuine online
- chemistry" developing long before actual and fulfilling "first dates"
- Remove awkwardness: Many services have "flirting functionality" that allows users to make advances with minimum conversation thus avoiding unnecessary awkwardness
- Breach boundaries and barriers: Several dating sites such as udate.com among others, makes geographical barriers fade away and can open a surprising world of travel, adventure, and enable long distance friendship
- No time constraint: With only a few necessary resources, a computer, accessories, membership fees, you are ready, day or night, to enter the discreet and relaxed universe of cyber-dating.
- Multi functional nature: Most of the sites provide multiple functions in their sites such as sorting functions, profiles, search engines, pre-screening, and even personality tests (as those provided by eharmony.com) deliver quantity, quality, and especially organization to your quest for the potentially perfect date or mate
- Provide a level playing field: On the internet, social class and gender barriers are often overcome by the fact that every player is in the same place, to play the same game
- One stop search: You can avoid the fruitless, time-consuming, effort of having to find appropriate venues to meet others: smoky bars, single's clubs, church socials, boring parties, etc
- Helps to do away with initial anxiety: In the introductory stages, Instant Messaging (IM) and emails produce far fewer misread signals or anxiety than, for example, that first dinner date
- Simultaneous chatting at the same time: "Parallel" dating, by email, instant messaging, or real-time audio or visual, with as few or as many people as you like, is par for the course
- Helps overcome embarrassment: Embarrassing chance meetings with past lovers, inquisitive co-workers, other dates, etc. become a non-issue
- Large pool of people to choose: There is no shortage of variety! The spice of Lavalife.com, for example, includes three distinct dating communities: casual dating, serious relationships, or the more erotic "intimate encounters"!
- Helps eliminate overhead expenses: Eliminate the many expenses of offline dating, such as dinner, movies, drinks, etc, by discovering the fatal flaws of your acquaintances online, before meeting in-person
- Impact of rejection minimized Whether you are at the giving or receiving end, rejection and its effect is minimized to a great extent
- Quick selection from a large pool of resources: By reading people's profiles closely, you can quickly eliminate people whose interests, age, values, religion or other aspects don't appeal to you..
Disadvantages
- You could get addicted: It's addictive and it's easy, and it's a short-term remedy for loneliness or boredom
- Internet dating is limiting in the sense that you'll only be meeting folks who spend time on the Internet, and excludes the others.
