Online Dating: A Love Upgrade?

There is so much in the press about online dating at the moment, you would be forgiven for believing it is the best way to meet your ‘ideal’ partner.

But don’t think of it as an easy option, just because you can sit at home in your dressing gown sizing up potential mates pre-selected ‘just for you’. You still have to ‘compete,’ in a much bigger pond and the competition starts early.

4 out of 5 people lie about their age, weight and height on the information form.  And, of the 2 million UK people who subscribe to online dating sites, the lucky few who conform to stereotypes, namely tall leggy, blondes and male sportsmen will still get the most interest.

Turns out, these sites mirror what happens in society; ultimately members still have to be able to look good and crack a joke with somebody they have never met before, and unfortunately  their date may not live up to the hype their ‘good friend’ the dating agency provided.

As online dating becomes more and more popular, it is developing a new set of problems for singletons: heightened expectations, the potential for many short, sharp engagements, and people who are addicted to looking, without the confidence or social skills to follow through on an actual date.

 In fact, the opportunities to become disillusioned with this as a way of finding a partner are potentially just as great as any other.

Maybe the growing popularity of these sites says more about how single people spend their time, at home noodling around on the internet. Perhaps we should tell them that if you want to meet people with similar interests shut down your computer, get off the sofa and go and join clubs in your area.

Yet, online dating is undeniably gaining credibility, just look at the stats; 2 million people in the U.K use online dating to search for a partner at a cost of around £119.00 each per year; so filtering out all but the suitably financed from the get go. These members will invest a lot of time and energy filling in forms and honing the descriptions of themselves, because somebody who ‘takes care of themselves’, even without a photo to prove it is more ‘attractive’ online.

And being attractive online is something more and more people are interested in being, especially on online dating forms.. Check out some of the posts on couple connection forum, www.thecoupleconnection.net/posts it seems some people in relationships feel they would be more attractive if htey described themselves as single, despite being in a relationship.