With the rise of the internet and the world wide web, a new, easier and more efficient way to date emerged in the form of online dating. Recent statistics regarding online dating show that more than 20 million people visit at least one online dating site a month.  The result is over 120,000 marriages that occur every year. This is great news to many single people looking for a companionship.  We thought it would be helpful to go over the pros and cons of online dating for people ready to take the plunge into the exiting world of internet dating.

 Pro

Online Dating Offers Endless Dating Choices.  Not since your days back in High School or College will you be in an environment with so many potential partners of similar age, backgrounds, goals, etc. Because of the tremendous popularity of online dating, there is literally an endless choice of dating opportunities.

Online Dating is safe and secure.  With a little common sense, online dating is a very safe and secure environment to meet people and get to know them before you ever see them face to face.  This is a much more safe and secure situation than meeting someone you don’t know much about in person for coffee or dinner.

Online Dating is very easy to do.  It takes little effort to sign up with an online dating service and upload your picture and profile. Once you answer the questions and add a picture, the responses will continue to build as long as you keep your profile active.

Online dating is a fun way to learn about people. Reading other people’s profiles can be a very fun way to learn about other people. You will find out about the hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams, goals, political and religious beliefs and favorite activities of others in a stress-free, low-pressure environment.

Online Dating is relatively Inexpensive.  Compared to other offline dating services, online dating provides a great value to the consumer.  There are several free online dating services but they are prone to predators and undesirables.

Online Dating provides more protection against fear of rejection.  Initial interaction with potential dating partners usually starts out as anonymous in the beginning, limiting exposure to fear of rejection and social awkwardness.

Online Dating filters incompatible people from your dating pool.  Arguably the best feature for online dating is the ability of the service to filter out those people that are not compatible with you. By taking one of their compatibility tests, they match you with a pool of dating prospects that have the same interests as you.  Imagine how much time and possible grief this saves someone!

 

Cons

Beware of Free Online Dating Sites.  There is a saying that you get what you pay for. Free Dating sites do not filter out the perverts and unsavory people that a paid service offers.  It is often easier for these people to hide their true identity because they did not use a credit card, which in most instances exposes who they are if they do wrong. Please check out the safety measures each dating site takes for your protection.

Pictures can be deceiving.  Someone’s picture is usually one of the first things that will attract you to the dating prospect online. The chances of someone putting anything less than their best picture on the site is uncommon and in some cases could be improved by editing software such as Photoshop. As you get to know the person this may be less of a factor, but be prepared for the possibility that they don’t look as good in person as you thought they would.

People can lie on their profiles. Sometimes you may come across someone’s profile that does not honestly describe what they are like. Because it is very easy to lie on the profiles, you may be surprised to find out that they are not who they say they are.  Consider this part of the filtering process to find your perfect match.

Men outnumber Women.  On some but not all dating sites, the men far outnumber the women. This can result in a deluge of emails for the women. In turn, men will find a lot of competition for attractive women.

Married men and women.  Some members may misrepresent their marital status in their profile and be looking for an adulterous relationship with someone who thinks they are dating a single person.

If the pros outweigh the cons for you, then welcome to the wonderful world of online dating. We hope you find that special person you have been hoping for!