Online Dating

Back in the day, online dating was seen as something that only the socially inept engaged in. It was a last resort measure, a desperate move. No normal person would agree to date someone they had never met in person. That proscription has, for the most part though, been abandoned. Hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the interwebs to find romance. True love on the net has become fashionable, so much so, that more people now than ever before are connecting online. The internet is a top destination for romance. Even the older generation is getting in on the game.

The online dating industry is booming. Scan the net and you'll find sites like OkCupid, Yahoo Personals, and Date.com are making a killing online as more and more people are looking to the web to find their one and only. Finding romance on the web is becoming so fashionable that a whole bevy of matchmaking sites are cropping up by the hour; and these sites are specializing, gearing themselves to more discerning consumers.

For the more selective, niche dating sites are a big draw. A niche dating site is usually focused on religion or ethnicity, but there are hundreds, thousands even, of sites out there which target social groups such as self proclaimed geeks or nerds. There are dating sites geared at hipsters and cyclers. You can even find matchmaking sites for tattoo enthusiasts, animal lovers, republicans, democrats and oenophiles (wine lovers).

Practically every interest has a niche dating site catering to it.

Still there are those people who are absolutely puzzled by the whole online dating phenomenon. They see it as some oddball fad. They are always the first ones to ask why. Why would someone date a stranger that they've only met in etherspace? Isn't better to date someone you've actually seen up close and personal? These are valid concerns. The internet can be dodgy. A lot of people lie or fib a little, especially about their appearance or age.

And a lot of people prefer to know what their potential partner actually looks like, off screen.

Online daters will be the first to tell their critics that they aren't up to speed with the times. Meeting people at Bingo or at the local club is old hat. Traditional dating is really hit or miss. You have no idea what a person's interests are before hand. With online dating, you can peruse profiles and find people that you actually think will be a good fit. There's also handy matching software which helps daters in the compatibility department. Online dating is a lot more selective. It's easier in a sense. Plus it's more casual; people are more at ease within their own homes. The whole dating ritual of going out and ending up stuck in a conversation with someone you can't stand can be avoided completely.

Online dating also has its benefits in times of economic or social uncertainty. Finding someone to talk to online when things are rough can be comforting. In difficult times people start thinking about their priorities. They start to yearn for someone to love and to cherish through the good and the bad. Online dating can help with that.

Of course there are a fair share of naysayers who bring up the cases that end in tragedy; or to a lesser degree, those cases where people are lied to, or mislead. However, these circumstances aren't limited to online dating. They actually occur as frequently offline as they do online.