Top 8 Reasons Online Dating Is Great
Reasons why you should take the plunge, plus tips and tricks of the trade.
Our friends over at lemondrop recently posed a question that we feel merits a weighty response: Are you pro or con online dating? Why yes, yes we are. And while we at Love Buzz can easily understand the typical objections and complaints (e.g. the whiffs of residual stigma or the dreaded "he looks nothing like his profile picture" scenario), we feel that there are many upsides to the practice that should be taken under consideration. Without further delay, let us begin.
Top 8 Reasons Why Online Dating Is Great:
1. Know Thyself. Whether through the free personality profile at eHarmony, or the practice of filling out a succinct self-summary on OKCupid or Match.com, sitting down and figuring out who you are and where you fit within the broader scheme of things is a good idea. If you can't figure out and put into complete sentences who you are and where your interests lie, then perhaps it's a red flag that you should take some time out to develop yourself. Quiz: Find Out Why He Didn't Call You Back
2. Figure out what you're looking for. Do you know what you want in a relationship? Or exactly what types of men interest you? More often than not in the off-line world of bars and cubicles, we limit ourselves to what's immediately available. From the last man standing at O'Houlihans Irish Pub happy hour to that cute guy working in marketing on the 7th floor, we take what's put in front of us instead of going after what we know we want and need. Set some standards then apply them. By qualifying your dating preferences, you both open up and constrain your possiblities at the same time. Even the simple indication that you are looking for single, strait men, ages 27-37, within 10 miles of your zip and a non-smoker is enough to keep you from chasing pipe dreams. Add that he must love Battlestar Galactica, and who knows what new love opportunities may come your way. Choosing Battlestar Galactica Over A Boyfriend
3. It's a great networking and skill-building opportunity. Being able to sit down with a complete stranger and have a conversation is a great skill to have, and one that will serve you well both professionally and personally. So the date is a flop. So he's shorter than expected, balding, smells like B.O. and looks like a troll. The upside of sitting through a dinner with this guy is that he has opened you up to a whole new world. He's a playwright, he's met Tom Stoppard. His work is premiering at the Lincoln Center Library. Score! Maybe not a love match, but now you have tickets to the hottest show in town. 4 Signs That A First Date Is Going Really Well
Discussion
I went from after-long-marriage-and-divorce mess, feeling totally inept at dating or "advertising" myself online, to having fun meeting lots of guys every week, to settling down with one man I met online. Yes, you've got to "practice" to get good at online dating, but just keep at it, make your profile short and interesting, answer your emails, send out intro messages of your own (and don't worry about getting responses or not, just do it) and go out for short meetings any night of the week (or every night as I did one week). Meeting in public places for drinks or a snack is pretty standard. I had great success on plentyoffish.com, myyearbook.com and okcupid.com (where I saw my man the night I enrolled, we met two weeks later, and are still together). They are free sites. Get online and have fun, and yes, figuring out what you are looking for ahead of time is good.
I like online dating for several reasons...I don't have a lot of free time and I can do this when I want. I can "screen" people - meaning they have to get past my picture, my looks, and actually have intelligent conversation first before I will even meet them...I'm not desperate and don't mind waiting a couple of weeks for a date. I get the opportunity to see who has been online dating for years...if he's been on the site since 2005....there might be an issue and I keep that in the back of my mind. I get to be completely honest on my profile page. People who respond to that have already saved me a lot of time.
Things you don't necessarily get to do when you meet someone in a bar.
WHAT ONLINE DATING SITES ARE THEY REFERRING TO. I HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL DATING SITES. I HAVE MET NOTHING BUT WEIRDOS, CREEPS, AND LOSERS!
Great article for online daters with terrific points. I relate as someone who has been on hundreds of online dates. It's a numbers game. Have fun with it. You have to be open to the possibilites.
Julie Spira - Author, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online (www.CyberDatingExpert.com)
