With the economic crunch and a fastpaced lifestyle, people are resorting to more practical ways to find love.
It’s not surprising to find a lot of people frequenting dating websites and paying a minimal fee to find their perfect match. The onset of dating websites as Yahoo personals, eharmony and match.com has made meeting people a lot easier. After all, it’s safer (and definitely cheaper than going to bars for a night out) and the results for compatibility are more accurate.
Of course, I’m speaking for myself, although I’m no expert when it comes to using dating websites. I’ve met a lot of interesting people via the chatroom in the past and chatting with them became more of a pastime—actually dating them was just a secondary purpose.
However, online dating can be a double-edged sword. It would be naive to think that everyone who practice online dating are honest people with good intentions. My advice is to always be cautious. Chatting online for a considerable time before meeting someone is actually a good way to get to know the person better. It might seem like an exhausting mind game, but I would say go with your gut and trust your instincts. If you feel that the person you’re chatting with can’t be trusted, terminate the correspondence in a quick but congenial manner. Never divulge personal information if you’re not confident that the person you’re chatting with isn’t a crook. Safety should always come first.
For people who have too much pride to spend money on dating websites or who are too paranoid to meet with strangers, there’s always Facebook and Multiply to turn to. These are free network sites where you can meet people who are associated with your own friends and are therefore more trustworthy.
Personally, I think the best thing about online chatting/dating is the opportunity to meet a lot of new and interesting people that you have common interests with. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about finding your perfect match. Look at it as a means to expand your network, gain more friends and have fun.
( Published on February 11, 2009 in MDWK Magazine p. 6 )
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