Why are people ashamed of online dating?

It’s strange to me that people who have no problem with strangers hooking up in a bar or going on a blind date, think online dating is for weirdoes. There are any number of horror stories about online dating, but my personal experience with internet dating has been quite the opposite. I met my current girlfriend online. At first we weren’t sure what to tell people about how we met. Ultimately we simply decided to go with the truth. It might not be the best, most romantic story, but it is meaningful enough to us.

People who lie online
Now there are plenty of people online who will misrepresent themselves on internet dating sites. They do this either by posting old pictures of themselves or by lying about themselves. But really if you post a 10 year old picture. How well could your date possibly go? I would recommend that you stick to the truth as far as possible and expect the same from others. You can reduce the number of bad dates by joining a paid dating site (The people on paid sites are generally more serious about it). You could also get a webcam and have a face to face chat before you go on a date.

I don’t think either men or women are more or less disposed to lying or self delusion. They just lie about different things. Women lie about their weight, age and relationship history. Men lie about their job, wealth and dating goals.

The people you meet in real life can be every bit as bad as the ones you meet online.

The pros of online dating
The benefits on the other hand are far greater. You get to filter out the weak prospects and it’s pretty easy to fill up your calendar with dates. You are there for doing more dating with better prospects. Clearly the chance of finding what you are looking for is far better online. It shouldn’t be a surprise that more and more people are finding their partners online.

Some guys prefer to go on more dates, while others like to establish a relationship before they go out for the first time. I found that learn someone’s likes and dislikes, interest and so on was absolutely worth it. In a casual, non-threatening low pressure online environment you can take the time to get to know them. Then the date itself will be more rewarding and less likely to make you nervous.

When you do go on a date there are some common sense precautions you should always take: Meet them in a public place, take your own car and don’t tell them where you live. If you do get a bad vibe, I say don’t be afraid to stand up and walk away. There are plenty of other fish on the internet. People, especially women, get into trouble when they ignore these simple rules.

All in all I would say internet dating isn’t just for nerds anymore. Your chance of finding your soul mate, online, is pretty good. So why not give it a go?