A recent survey in the US revealed that of 19,000 people who married between 2005 and 2012 35 percent of those couples met online with about half of that meeting through an online dating site.
According to datingsitereviews.com, about 6 million singles in America have joined online dating, 51 percent of Australians have tried online dating, and nearly one in ten Australians have found love online, one in ten US citizens have used an online dating site, and 1.9 million Britons have used an online dating site and in 2010, dating membership for online dating in South Africa increased by 800 percent. All these points to one direction, people believe in online dating and online dating is a possible way to meet a good partner.
Online dating is a good avenue for meeting people and probably building a successful relationship, but like almost every other thing in life, it has its advantages and disadvantages, and I would throw a bit more light on it; hopefully we all learn from this.
ITS PROS
1. IT’S GOOD FOR SHY PEOPLE
Online dating has made things easier for shy people, most especially men who are shy to talk to ladies one-on-one. Online dating gives you that confidence to build a relationship online and then take it further in the real world.
2. ACCESS TO A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE
Online dating provides a platform to meet a large number of people; different races, tribes, personalities are represented on online dating platforms and your search can even be narrowed down to the kind of person you want.
3. IT CAN BUILD PASSION
Ask anyone that’s fallen in love through an online dating site or any social media, the passion for each other can really be strong. One reason behind this is communication helps build the passion in a relationship and constant communication would help push that passion to greater heights and this is what dating sites can help you build.
4. IT’S GOOD FOR THE BUSY PEOPLE/PEOPLE WITH NO SOCIAL LIFE
Some people are too busy that there is hardly any time to go out and this affects their social life, and without having a social life there would be minimal opportunity to meet someone as the only person you spend time with are your circle of friends.
These are some advantages of online dating; continue reading in next page for the disadvantages
CONS
1. MUCH EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
The success of any relationship has so little to do with how physically attractive a person is and with online dating, this is hardly the case. Physique, beauty and the lot play a major role in how often you would get to build a relationship via online dating. According to Statistic Brain, 49 percent people say physical characteristics are the most important factor, and with this mentality, it would be difficult to find real love online. Another scary stat is that men lie mostly about their age, income and height while women lie about weight, age and physical build.
2. NOT EVERYONE ONLINE IS GENUINE
The fact that you are an honest person who is sincerely looking for someone to build a relationship with doesn’t mean that everyone else out there is honest. A little bit of caution would be helpful as online dating isn’t entirely a safe haven.
3. THERE IS THIS UNSEEN PRESSURE FOR IT TO TURN ROMANTIC
There is this undefined pressure that somehow make partners rush to build a romantic connection between each other rather than building the relationship gradually and letting the romantic feelings grow gradually as well. Since both parties are focused on being in a relationship, it just tends to heighten the pressure and this isn’t good for any relationship.
4. IT COULD BECOME A CLICHÉ TO SOME PEOPLE
For those who are shy or have no social life they might turn to online dating as their only source of dating and this would be of little good. Online dating should be a platform for building relationship but should never be made the only platform; online dating might be effective but it shouldn’t take away your ‘communication with the real world’.
Now you know the pros and cons, you can use it to your advantage and make the most of online dating.
S.O.Z