The following is written by Brianna Phillips.
It used to be the way to find a date was going out to the bars, being set up through mutual friends, meeting at the gym, or by merely holding onto the hope of running into a tall, dark and drop-dead gorgeous stranger in the produce section of your local grocery store.
Thanks to the internet, we don’t have to rely on such methods or deal our entire deck of dating cards to the gods of fate. Because of the phenomenon that is online dating, we are now provided with a massive platform for finding that special someone — and we can put the power of dating into our own hands.
If you are a single who has ever considered the idea and are interested in the possibilities (and available matches!) waiting for you on the internet, be sure to check out the following overview of the benefits and statistics of online dating that just might sway you in the direction of the world wide web.
Photo by Anita Patterson.
Why date online?
With online dating you have the opportunity to broaden your horizons, sort through thousands of matches and increase your chances of meeting someone whom you wouldn’t have met otherwise. Here are four reasons why former singles found success and are no longer requesting a table for one:
Online dating saves you time.
Living in a world where we are consumed by hectic schedules, dating often falls last on our never-ending to-do lists. However, one of the perks of online dating is the fact that you can eliminate wasted time. Weed through your matches and based on dating profiles and online communication, you can decide right off the bat if a person is worth taking the time to get to know better.
Online dating is convenient.
Forget about getting dressed up in your best ensemble to head out on the town looking for “the one.” When you date online, all you have to put on your favorite pajamas, curl up on the couch and grab your laptop. What could beat dating from the comfort of your own home?
Online dating saves you money.
Sure, to be a part of a reputable online dating community, you’re going to have to pay a membership fee. But rest assured that fees are often less than what you would spend going out on date after unsuccessful date.
Through these websites, a venue is provided for you to get to know someone and decide if there’s a possible match before breaking the bank to go out with them.
Online dating allows you to define your wants/needs.
Online dating sites come equipped with a plethora of tools, personality/compatibility tests, and features like your online dating profile that allow you to clearly outline what you are looking for in a romantic counterpart.
This enables you to get straight to the point, hone in on real matches and easily determine if there is a connection with another person or not.
How popular is online dating?
Statistics from 2011 suggest that online dating is more than a fad and is here to stay.
Online dating usage across the world: In India there are 15 million singles using dating sites, 40 million in the United States, and China claims a whopping 140 million online singles.
The most popular dating sites: Match.com is home to 15 million members and eHarmony has 20 million.
The dating industry’s earnings: The online dating industry raked in over $1 billion dollars, and it is estimated that by 2013, online dating will reach a staggering $1.3 billion dollars in earnings.
Online dating success: Of the online matches who meet in person, 33% turn into relationships with 17% of those relationships turning long-term (including marriage). By 2019, it is estimated that more than 50% of couples will have found their start through online dating.
Photo by Matthew Hull.
And you?
Did you find your lover online?
Got any questions for me?
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Never did it, but I think it is a nice way to get a couple of dates
More and more of my friends are going this way…it’ll be interesting to see the results of this online dating boom in 15 or 20 years. How successful will it be?
January 29, 2012 at 12:52 AM
The one factor that will never change with online dating sites is the level of or lack of honesty. Women lie about their age and weight, some even lie about their education. Men lie about their height and income.
Women will post a current photo that’s blurry along with photos when they were 50lbs lighter or they’ll post that party photo where they look spectacular and less likely to ever look that way again.
Men posts photos with ball caps to hide hair loss. Both will lie about their smoking and alcoholic consumption.
Men and women make a feeble attempt at honesty.
January 30, 2012 at 9:06 AM
Not long ago it was thought you were a bit of a loser if you needed to use a dating service to get a date but now it is totally acceptable and most young people I know have tried some form of internet dating. Work and life commitments can make traditional socializing less frequent and online dating is a great way of meeting new people. I met my wife at work but if I was single now I would definitely consider online dating.
January 31, 2012 at 11:08 AM
I agree that it’s becoming much more socially acceptable. I know a few happy couples who met this way. Never worked for me though – it’s so difficult to tell whether there’s going to be an attraction there when you’ve only seen pictures and text, so it seems you may have to kiss a lot of frogs! Never found the prince, not online anyway…
Online dating has come in seriously as a large platform for lovers. Although the risk involved is high but still few of them are able to find their true love because of this platform. Many sites have shown a considerable progress in this field.
Great post you got there. I had fun reading it and it gave me Ideas why there are so many people who date online. Thanks so much for the share
No online dating will replace real people’s society. And no one will prove me wrong. Though I see it as a way out for shy people.
Great statistics but, I agree with Danuta. Physical is always.. always…. always…… better than digital interactions. I really surprised by the Chinese 140 million number!!
I have a girlfriend who met her husband on match.com and they are living happily now. They are not shy, dorky people. In fact one of them is a pilot and the other is a successful entrepreneur. It is possible to find your perfect love online.
Now that I think about it, you are right. If the guy I “meet” online also gives me his FB profile, or Linkedin – it doesn’t matter, I can find things about him that he might not tell me about when we’re face-to-face.
Thanks for sharing. Online dating profiles look good on paper, but that doesn’t mean they’ll work so well in person. On the other hand, if the pictures don’t lie, you can always find a good sexy buddy online.
I agree with Helena. An online profile can be filled with inaccuracies or flat out lies, that may come out sooner rather than later.
I think it’s an ok method of meeting people for casual dating, if that attraction is there. Yet bear in mind you’re even taking a risk by plopping your pictures on some random dating site. Your pictures become the property of the dating site whether you like it or not. At this point your pictures could end up anywhere. Now, if that doesn’t concern you, then great. Yet, it’s a contentious issue I have with online dating in general.
I tend to prefer not to post any pictures at all, out of mistrust of the dating site, or even potential stalkers. I’d rather chat on an instant messenger where I have discretion whom will see my photos. Granted, it detracts from the attention I get on a dating site, yet there are those women whom understand and will gladly chat and meet.
Having said that, perhaps it’s just my luck but the women I’ve met have all had far too much baggage to contend with and figuring out her true story is just so much work over the internet, if even possible.
So, at least for me anyway, I viewed online dating as a quick source of casual dating and tried to steer clear of the serial daters. Easier said than done.
Although it’s potential dates at our finger tips, I’ve found people I’ve met in everyday life, far and away more suitable for dating. Why? You’ve already met and can quickly judge within seconds whether or not you’re attracted to the woman’s physical appearance, voice, body language etc. There’s also less of a chance of that person lieing or embellishing the truth.
Finally, the sheer competition is astounding. You won’t find another dating environment where the odds are stacked against men. The ratio of men : women on some sites is as high as 8 or 10: 1, even higher. So, that woman has to deal with countless emails and potential suitors. Most of these men, she wouldn’t give the time of day to in person, yet online it’s a different story and harder to assess chemistry. It’s a gold mine of opportunity for women, yet complete opposite for men. It was hard work mustering up a date and I found I ended up lowering my standards just to get a date, due to the inflated sense of self, that some women derive from online dating. Bear in mind, I’m a good looking guy as well. That was the last straw for me and I went back to meeting partners through friends or coworkers. Turns out, it’s a much more relaxing way of meeting people.