Several years ago there was a news piece that discussed the statistics of on line relationships. At that time, the numbers showed that nearly half of all marriages in the United States were between couples who met on line. From the infancy of the Internet until now, there has been a growing trend of on line dating sites dedicated to a vast number of interests and people. There are the massive juggernauts like eHarmony, and Match.com, and the smaller sites that cater to specific lifestyles.
"You Get What You Pay For" is very applicable when it comes to dating services for one simple reason (Itkin). People who invest money, even a small amount of money, are usually more serious about meeting people. On the other hand, people who don't care to spend a few dollars amonth on a dating service are more likely to post ads and profiles and respond to profiles out of boredom or for some other "non-legitimate" reason (Itkin).
When evaluating the different online dating services, there are certain factors to consider. Some of these include:
- Features - Interested in compatibility matches? Video dating advice? Or just want the basics?
- Membership - The best dating services have millions of subscribers - and that means potential dates for you.
- Cost - Most services offer a low monthly fee, with better deals for longer-term subscriptions -
The range of prices varies from $19.99 to $59.95 for some of the larger, more popular sites.
There are a few types of online dating services. The first allows you to fill out a profile and “best qualities in a mate” form and then allows you to search a database of their members to find a match. The second employs the same profile but more in-depth about all the facets of a relationship. It then provides matches based on the profile and relationship test. You have no ability to search the database of members. The upside to this is you only get people that are compatible. The downside is you lose the freedom to search.
The problem that some people will find with the larger services is that they have no programs geared towards alternative lifestyles. This leaves a rather large demographic, like the gay and lesbian community, with substandard dating services like Yahoo.com and True.com. There are no mainstream, reputable sites for alternative lifestyles.
Remember, online dating is just an introduction; relationships take place in the real world, not in front of a computer screen. Emotions, feelings, beliefs and values are shared through communication, and body language like, a soft voice, fidgeting, sweating, eye twitching, etc (Passion). These might not be significant as swearing or turning beet red, but they are pieces of a puzzle that give a big picture of a persons true feelings (Passion). Ninety percent of human communication is done through body language. Online, there isn't any of that. Look at online dating as a gateway to better things, not the real deal (Passion). Online dating can be an effective medium to real life relationships, if used effectively (Passion).
Each person should make their own evaluation of online dating to make their own decision about their feelings. There are issues with many of these sites and really it just depends upon what a person is looking for in online dating. I would recommend online dating as it does open doors that were not previously there, but I would also recommend caution in opening these doors. Online dating is here to stay and can be effective as a means to make introductions that would not normally be made, but that is all it can be, an introduction.
