Are You Considering Online Dating?

Jody's quest in finding a suitable partner for marriage seemed impossible. She found the singles scene at clubs to be uncomfortable and her social circle seemed to consist of more married friends with a shrinking number of singles.

Although she has heard of internet dating and have seen the ads for dating websites, she has hesitated to take what she imagined was a rather drastic step. What would her experiences be like? How would she meet someone online? What were the risks?

If you are in this situation then quite likely you have considered venturing into online dating to meet someone.

Our lives are increasingly dependent on technology as opposed to face-to-face contact. It is not at all surprising that millions have already tried online dating as a way to find a relationship rather than waiting for a chance meeting.

But what are some of the findings of researchers who analyze the behavior of online daters?

In a study reported on CBS News, 15% of Americans with internet access have visited an internet dating site. 27% of them were 18-29 years old. Obviously online dating is becoming very popular.

The same study showed that 33% of unmarried internet users thought that dating online was a safe way to meet people although 34% acknowledged knowing someone who had a bad experience.

In another study reported by BBC News, online dating was seen as a way for women to feel empowered in relationships. The conventional inhibitions that they had in face-to-face relationships were replaced by a more upfront and in-control attitude when given the anonymity of the internet. Could this improve their chances at finding a perfect relationship?

Professor Helen Petrie was quoted in the BBC interview as stating "There are people who lack interpersonal social skills and would find it very difficult to meet people in bars. They may find it easy to meet in an internet room, but they still have the problem of meeting them face to face and if they have gone too far with the internet relationship, they may find that traumatic."

The truth is, many individuals find the anonymity of online dating encourages a certain amount of exaggeration or lying. While some claim that we always hide things at the beginning of a relationship, trying to put our best foot forward, the internet makes it easier to hide such things as facial expressions, income, marital status and even criminal records.

So while you may find, like Jody, that finding a relationship in the 'real' world is difficult - if you are still considering online dating it is wise to use caution and common sense. Be careful what you say about yourself and try to verify as much information as possible before meeting or personally contacting anyone you've met online and never meet them alone.

Jim Scotty is the publisher of a website featuring online dating tips and resources where you can find more articles related to dating and relationships.

Related Articles:

8 Dating Rules For Single Dads
The problem with recently divorced single parents is that are waiting too long to start dating again, complaining they are oh, so busy. The real reason is their fears, because their previous situation was usually so ugly, they don't have a strong enough ego to let rejections roll off their back.

Online dating nature.
Online dating has been a revolution ever since it started, but like every coin has another side to it. Online dating poses some serious side effects, which if not taken care of shall result in disasters. You need to understand on how online dating can affect your life, habits, routine and time management. Before getting into details, a word of caution to all those passionate online daters: be careful and understand that prevention is better than cure!

TOP 3 Payment Systems for Online Dating
Paying for the services online has never been so fast, and easy than it is today. Payment systems are constantly developing. We decided to find out for ourselves which payment systems the most popular dating sites use today. Our research concludes that the three most accepted systems of Payment for the Dating Services are: 1) Traditional: Paper Bill Some dating sites (eHarmony, Anastasia-International, Match.com) still have classical bill payment systems. It is safe, but the main disadvantage of it is that it takes a long time to purchase a service. 2) Popular: Credit Cards Most clients of Dating Services tend to use credit cards because it is fast and easy. However, when you pay by credit card online you enter your card number...

Dominate Your Dating
Dating women is not the easiest thing in the world to do. I mean if it was, there would not be so much misinformation circulating on the internet today about the subject of dating. A lot of guys are out there, lost and feeling like they are helpless and all alone. I used to be one of those guys, until I truly found out how to dominate my dating. And ever since I learned how to control that aspect of my life, it has been a non stop free flowing supply of women at my beckon call. Right now, I can literally command any woman to do anything for me, why? Glad you asked. I?m going to go into some of the details of what I?ve been doing to attract some of the hottest women in town? so let?s go!

TurtleDate Announces Dating Site Profile Approval Policy Change
In a recent move, the little dating site www.TurtleDate.com made some big changes in their profile approval policy. TurtleDate has implemented aggressive action to protect the privacy of its members by thwarting contacts via profile approvals from scammers, spoofers and spammers who attempt to use the sites service to proliferate advertising and money phishing schemes.

3 Easy Steps To Online Dating Success
We all know that online dating will help you to make new friends and meet your perfect partner. But, how do you get the best out of a dating site? If you are thinking of signing up, or have already joined a dating site without success, make sure you read these 3 important tips!1.

Online Dating: First Date Security
You?ve been using an online dating service and you?ve found someone you would really like to meet Before you get started, there is one big note of caution