| |
| |
|
|
Dating Information |
|
Coming Out... As an Internet Dater
A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a casual acquaintance. As we were chatting, she mentioned her new boyfriend, Adam. "Oh," I asked. "How did you two meet?" She looked around and said, "Well, I guess I can tell you. I mean, he tells everyone." And then she lowered her voice slightly, "We met online." Now, to me, the phrase, we met online is not one that warrants a lowered voice and furtive glance around the room before being uttered. But, apparently admitting to meeting over the internet has not quite become the stuff of polite conversation. In reality, this shouldn't be that surprising. There are some long-standing stigmas attached to this type of coupling; often holdovers from the days of newspaper personal ads and video dating services. My first encounter with personal ad dating came when I was a teenager. I was at an older cousin's wedding. At one point during the reception, my mother whispered to me, "You know, they met through the personal ads." Forgetting my whereabouts I loudly repeated, "The personals?" only to get a sound motherly shushing. But, I was confused. My cousin didn't seem desperate. Or weird for that matter. Weren't those the types of people who did this? Now, granted I was a teenager and not fully versed in the ways of the world, but I would hazard a guess that I wasn't the only one under the impression that only desperate divorcees and perverted polygamists would place an ad looking for a date. Of course, it was more likely than not the daters in question were simply busy people with specific needs and interests whose social lives had not yet presented them with an appropriate match. Just like internet daters today. Now that internet dating has been going strong for nearly a decade, people are coming around to the idea that there is no more shame in meeting someone online that there is in meeting someone through a friend, at a bar or over the office water cooler. My friend Andy and his live-in-love met on an internet dating site a few years ago. However, this wasn't initially what they told people, instead concocting a tale about meeting in a park on their way to work. Eventually, the happy couple felt silly perpetuating the fabricated story and outed themselves to friends and family. Not surprisingly, the only negative reactions came from people who didn't understand why they had invented the park fable in the first place. Still, as Andy says, "In the beginning we felt a little pathetic, like we had to go online to get a date. And, I know Jen was worried that people would think we had just been looking for a hook up. But, we got over that pretty quick!" Many internet daters see these qualms as being decidedly out of touch. Twenty-seven year-old Ilana explains, "I have no problem telling people I'm doing Internet dating because everyone's doing it. I think the fact the people do everything on the Internet makes it seem totally natural. You do all your communication on the internet. All your research on the Internet. Make all your plans on the Internet, so why not find someone to date on the internet?" Why not indeed? There's plenty of stuff out there to feel legitimately embarrassed about, an addiction to reality television and our love of Les Miserables for example. Online dating doesn't need to be added to that list. Who knows, in a few years, the idea of going out with someone without first being able to check his or her profile might seem positively passé. Ellen Friedrichs is a dating advisor for MetroChai. To read more articles and tips visit our blog at http://nydating.blogspot.com/ For free online dating visit http://www.metrochai.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Dating - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Ten Great Holiday Dates For Singles Dating during the holiday season can be a special treat. Of course, in order to fully experience this you may need to re-order some priorities and make time for yourself and your own personal needs. Hooking Up vs. Lasting Love: Its Your Choice "hooking Up" - "friends with benefits" - "booty call"These terms have become all too familiar in today's dating world. Are they words that you can relate to? Have you lived them in some way? If so, how have you felt about the experience(s) both during and after? Chances are that you have mixed feelings at best. Online Dating - Six Ways to Protect Your Privacy in Cyberspace Online dating is becoming more and more mainstream, as people from all walks of life plug in and find their soul mate in cyberspace. Here are six tips to finding that special someone while still maintaining your privacy and safety online. Online Dating - 5 Essential Safety Tips So, you've decided to take the plunge and follow in the footsteps of countless other singles who know that online dating is a successful route to meeting new friends and finding the perfect partner. But, what do you do when you find someone you like?Initially, you'll want to keep all communication by email and get to know a little more about the other person. Gay, Single, & Loving It! Introduction We live in a society that places high value and expectation on being in a coupled relationship and singles are often stigmatized for their single-status. Gay men, in particular, are often labeled as being unable to develop and maintain long-lasting intimate relationships, adding yet another layer to this stigma. Avoiding the Grand Manipulator Let's face it.. Blind Date Very few singles have ever gone through life without having a friend, relative or coworker try to set them up on a blind date. While a blind date is sometimes referred to as a 'first impression' date, people shouldn't associate so much pressure with a blind date. Latin Dating - Beauty and Romance Like any other society, Latin culture is one that is embedded with traditions, values and celebrations. Of all the different attributes that are associated with Latino's, there is no question that passion and romance are considered to be two of the most intriguing. Funnel Your Way to Love I call it "The Funnel." And it's the best way to view your online dating experience. The Law of Large Numbers It is often said that sales is a numbers game. The more people we contact, the more chances we have to make a sale. 10 Fast Ways to Re-Igniting Romance Research shows that people who put each other down and are hostile to each other are more likely to have serious problems . We tend to feel vulnerable our sence of protection has been broken, our love has diminished . How to Find True Love Quickly And Easily How often do you find yourself wishing you could find true love?Unfortunately, you're not alone. With millions of singles out there, why is it so hard for most singles to find true love? It's just human nature. Meeting Women: Surefire Spots To Get Dates The first thing I want to do immediately is to give you a CONCRETE, STEP BY STEP PLAN that you can immediately use to go out right now and start meeting more women.Now, most guys have it all wrong when it comes to meeting women. Free Dating - The Real Cost of Free Dating Nearly every dating site on the internet claims to offer free dating. Running a quick search on google for the phrase 'free dating' returns some one and half million results!Yet is the consumer being mislead? What are the true costs of free dating?The fact is there is rarely any such thing. Dating Personals! Find Out How To Write A Knockout Personal Ad If you're about to leap into dating personals and don't know how to begin to write that knockout dating personal ad, then read further on for some simple steps that will help develop a strategy to create a dating profile that works. Keep in mind this information is based on my personal opinions, and are not taken from any professional dating avenues, so I suggest you read at your own risk!At this point you did your homework and found some really good dating sites that you feel will meet most, if not all, your dating needs. He Was Either The Most Romantic Man In The World - Or A Complete Idiot Heather had been dating Ben for a little over two months. She quite enjoyed his company but was beginning to realize he was not the man for her. The Most Important Question to Ask on a First Date First dates can be pretty daunting experiences, but they can be downright annoying or painful if both parties are not on the same page from the beginning. Being 'on the same page' means wanting the same type of relationship that the other wants. Single Sites Are A Great Tool To Network And Develop Fun And Spontaneous Relationships Online If you're tired of the boring and repetitive local dating scenes, then you should consider trying single sites to meet people with your interests alike!Where else can you find a significant number of people who are fun spirited, extremely spontaneous, and just don't want to be involved in a serious relationship as a single person?However, you may be tired of the same old bar and pub scene, so with access to singles dating online, you have a new avenue to meet some new and interesting people!Now keep in mind that online dating sites may be interpreted differently compared to personals sites, and you may have to check each one out to make sure they're right for your needs. Dating personals cater more to the individual that enjoys using the profiles, and chat features to talk to a variety of people at one time. The Deal Breakers Deal Breakers. Everyone's got them. Do It And They Will Come: Pursuing New Adventures To Find Mr / Ms Right Are you tired of the whole dating scene? Have you spent many hours (years) going to parties and events with the hope of meeting compatible and available singles? If so, now may be time to think about doing something different. Really different.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
