Internet Dating: IT'S A SMALL DIGITAL WORLD AFTER ALL

I asked a friend the other day if she would consider internet dating as an alternative to going to single's bars every weekend. She only raised her eyebrows at me. She
asked me if I would consider it. I said I would, which made her raise them a little higher. Internet Dating, in her opinion, is for those who are very desperate and are too insecure of
themselves.

I disagree. Internet Dating nowadays has become more socially acceptable now than it was a few years ago. It has revolutionized the dating scene all over the world.
Working adults who aren't interested in the flak and the games but want to find love are into it. Singles who are tired of the traditional approach find it a much, much better alternative.

Unnecessary Flak

Believe it or not, the predecessor to internet dating was the posting of personal ads on the newspaper. Back then there was a huge stigma attached to the practice.
People assumed that anyone who does that sort of thing is: a) too ugly, b) desperate, or c) psycho. Time has passed, and technology has advanced to produce thousands of online dating sites. Though more socially acceptable, internet dating still manages to raise a few eyebrows and draw a few snickers. But worry not, there are benefits to it.

1) Safety - The beauty of internet dating is anonymity. No personal information in regards to contact details will be given out, unless by your own discretion.

2) Security - If online courtship has gone horrible awry, or if the person you are chatting with didn't turn out the way he or she has led you to believe, you can drop him or her. If they persist, red flag them to the sites' webmaster, and -poof!- they are gone. Since they don't know how to find you, you're safe.

3) It's free - Hey, who doesn't like what is free? Huh? Internet dating sites allow you to sign up and log on, with nary a membership fee. Isn't that much better than the money you spend on buying your lady friend's drinks?

4) Wide range of choices - This, my friend, is single's heaven. There are more singles signed up and looking for love than you can stuff in a single's bar on a Saturday night. There are tons selections, tons of prospects, for your perfect match here. In a singles bar, you find, what, around 2 or 3. Internet dating links you to around a thousand singles who want your company. Need I say more?

5) Its cost efficient, and you can date around - Okay, here's the traditional approach: you go to a bar, party, or anywhere you meet new people. Someone catches your eye, then -if you're lucky- you both hit it off. Then you two start hanging out: coffee, a movie, and dinner. After a while, when you ask her to go steady, she says "Hmmm .maybe we'll see." What is that?! All that time and money spent hoop jumping for a small probability? And if it turns out that you're both incompatible along the way, you dump her (or vice-versa) and go for another one. With internet dating, you can practice the philosophy of "collect and select" fully. It enables you to date simultaneously around more than five people, with less the time, energy, money, and frustration. Doesn't that sound better than going at it one at a time? The chances of finding that "special someone", without risk of a deficit, is higher when you go internet dating.

6) The Fear of Rejection is gone - I had a friend who once came up to a girl and introduced himself to her. She promptly and coldly shut him down. Isn't that what we all fear the most: rejection? Who could blame the girl? She doesn't know my friend from Adam. Needless to say, my friend returned to our table, feeling like he was kicked in the forbidden area and didn't bother giving it another go. Internet Dating dissolves that fear. All we do is make contact via e-mail. If she rejects you, it wouldn't be so outright embarrassing.

7) Honesty is the best policy - The thing with traditional dating is that involves trying something to wow the opposite gender; the "best foot forward" approach. We arm ourselves with killer lines that we either made up or learned from other people, practice them, and try to deliver them as smoothly as James Bond would. What I do know is that it doesn't work for everyone. Internet dating requires honesty from both parties. It is the basis of how we build up our profiles and how we interact with one another. There isn't much need for games and facades. All it takes is the art of conversation.

So if you've gotten tired of the usual hitting waterhole to find true love, why don't you consider finding love online? More and more people are realizing the incredible
benefits that accompany internet dating. The success rate is much higher and so is the satisfaction. It has become a way for people all over the globe to connect with one another; all with a click of a button. So, don't worry. Internet dating maybe a bad point against your social standing, but believe me: it'll be worth it.