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Introduction

ONLINE DATING I ntroduction Online dating is a relatively new phenomenon. It arose during the late 1990s, at the same time that the Internet itself was becoming increasingly popular. Despite being a relatively young industry, online dating has already become one of the most profitable types of business to be found on the Internet. Online dating services currently attract millions of users every day, and the industry as a whole is making hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Online dating provides an efficient way for people to meet prospective partners and to get to know them through e-mails and chats. There are various positive aspects to be found in the experience of online dating, as compared to the traditional methods of dating. These include, for example, convenience, safety, and a sense of anonymity. However, the online dating experience can also have certain negative aspects, such as a lack of personal contact and the risk of being deceived. This paper will start out by providing an overview of the online dating industry, including a brief history and a description of its current status. The paper will then discuss why people use online dating services as well as the opportunities and pitfalls that are associated with the experience. The paper will conclude with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the online dating experience. It will be seen that online dating can be successful in terms of forming long-term relationships; however, as a general rule, a great deal of trial-and-error is also involved in this process. Overview of the Online Dating Industry Long distance courtships (by telephone, letters, etc.) existed long before the rise of the Internet in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the Internet, which enables people to instantly communicate with others around the world, has changed how people go about meeting potential mates and forming relationships. It is impossible to say when the first couple fell in love by communicating with one another over their computers' modem connections. ...read more.

Middle

p.). Online dating seems safer in a psychological sense, as well. Many people are attracted to the use of online dating services because of they provide a sense of anonymity. Along with this, online dating services have the advantage of providing a "pool" of participants who are actively seeking relationships. Because of this, the services are useful in helping people overcome the feelings of vulnerability that often arises when trying to meet new people at a bar or other public place (Hill and Walmsley 48). Yet another advantage of the online dating experience is that it forces people "to judge others initially on their ideas rather than on their physical appearance," and thus "enables individuals to connect on a very different level than they might face-to-face" ("Online Dating" n. p.). In short, online dating is a good way to get to know somebody before meeting face to face and is thus a good way to "weed out" undesirable prospects while avoiding the kinds of pitfalls that are associated with traditional forms of dating. Online dating can also result in certain negative experiences as well. For example, online dating is less personal than traditional dating is. In addition, in online dating profiles, people often appear to be different than they really are. As noted by Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, this is one of the major problems in "actualizing" an online relationship (that is, transforming an online relationship into a successful offline relationship). According to Ben-Ze'ev, the actualization process might fail not only because of deception in a person's profile, but also because people tend to use their imaginations to create an "illusion" about their prospective partners (140-141). Another drawback to online dating is found in the need to fill out questionnaires, which can sometimes be very lengthy and time-consuming. Online questionnaires can also feel like an intrusion of one's privacy. In 2003, Internet Magazine had two reporters (one male and one female) ...read more.

Conclusion

Along with this, some people are attracted to online dating because it helps to reduce the negative psychological impact of rejection (which might occur, for example, when one is turned down in a nightclub or a bar). Although there are various positive aspects associated with the phenomenon of online dating, there are also some negative aspects to be found in the experience as well. For example, the sign-up questionnaires at some online dating sites are overly long and intrusive. However, the most likely reason for having a negative experience with online dating is because people may deceive others with their profile data. Related to this, people often develop illusory conceptions about their online partners prior to actually meeting them face-to-face. Because of these factors, online daters are often greatly disappointment when they finally make contact in the offline world. This can occur even when the online relationship has seemingly been very successful. In order to attain the best results with online dating, it is important for the partners to share as many compatibility traits as possible. As discussed in this paper, there is both empirical and anecdotal evidence to show that long-term relationships are possible as a result of participating in online dating activities. However, the evidence also shows that the process may take a certain amount of time and effort and that one should expect many disappointments at first, before finally attaining a successful offline relationship. In using online dating services, better results can be expected if one creates an honest and realistic profile for others to respond to. There are also indications that more responses, as well as better responses, will occur when one has included a photograph as part of the online profile. Above all, it is important for the users of online dating services to be aware of the need for trial-and-error in the attainment of a satisfactory result. Some initial failures are to be expected, and thus people must be prepared to persist and keep trying if they want to attain the most positive results from the online dating experience. ...read more.

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