In the year 1999, online dating had major stigma **attached to it and was considered something people with no social life HAD to do. Fast Forward to 2009 and the online dating world is now a $300 million a year industry. Those that online date swear by it – and of course there are those exceptions of successful relationships – but, in a city like New York, where **being single is actually “cool,” meeting people is really not as difficult as one may think, and being a fabulous female lessens the fear of rejection, I am still not yet totally convinced online dating is the way to go****…
**#1: Living **
There is no replacement for living your life. If you restrict yourself to the bars and clubs for meeting people, of course it may be tough! Try keeping busy living your life and you’ll be surprised how many great people you will meet along the way… join a kickball team, take a class, or join a volunteer organization.
Online dating makes it that much easier for guys to have sex with women. Women already feel closer to men by reading their profiles and chatting/emailing before the first date. So, upon actually meeting, it mentally feels like the second or third date and the girl is that much more willing to enter into something physical.
Say good bye to those sappy, humorous, and fairytale “how me met” stories kids, because mom and dad met through cyber space.
I was walking through Central Park one afternoon and being that my iPod had died that morning, I was forced to listen to random conversations of “He hasn’t called yet,” and “it was the Best. Date. EVER,” but one woman in particular caught my ear as she was bragging to her friend that, thanks to online dating, she had 5 dates lined up that week. My first thought was, “who has time for 5 dates a week?” My second was that it kind of seemed like a waste of time. I mean, wouldn’t it be more efficient to go on one date with someone you have a real connection with as opposed to spending time with multiple men that a computer found you compatible with?
Why pay for something, when you can get it for free. Sure, there are exceptions for those people who are super busy or those that are socially awkward, etc. But, single people managed to meet and marry before the era of online dating, and I optimistically suspect they still can.
Top Photo Credit: Girl Snark