The old adage “The proof is in the pudding” is definitely the best perspective for anyone who questions the benefits of online dating. What is the proof? You could point to the fact that nearly seven to eight percentage of all newlyweds met online, according to a 2007 Harris interactive online poll. Some debate whether this percentage is low or high, either way; it confirms that lots of people are finding their soul mates in a virtual world.
Online dating has been around for well over a decade, with their emergence beginning in the late 1990s in the midst of the Internet boom. While businesses recognized the opportunity to connect with a much larger audience online, so to did frustrated people who had been looking for love in all the wrong places.
The long-term success of relationships is still dependent on the chemistry, integrity, and work ethic of those involved, but there are many benefits of online dating compared to other traditional means of searching for romance.
Benefits of online dating:
• Less stressful way of introduction
• Selective opportunity to identify matches before you meet in person
• Ability to avoid awkwardness of personal differences or value conflicts
• Ability to quickly meet and connect with lots of people in a short time
• Many sites offer expert advice and scientific profile matching
• Potential for equally successful or more successful relationships
As noted upfront, there must be lots of benefits of online dating, otherwise, more and more people would not be seeking men or seeking women online. Eharmony has gone as far as to claim involvement in 2% of all marriages.
One misconception about people that use a free dating site or paid service sites is that it is only for people unable to get a date the “real way”. This is very much not the case. Sure, people that are socially shy by nature may appreciate the opportunity to find people without the pressure of a face-to-face encounter.
Other people that are very open, attractive, confident and otherwise comfortable in a natural dating setting are still turning to the benefits of online dating for the thrill, the broader pool of candidates, safety, and much more. Many top dating sites and services actually require basic background checks or profile verifications to help create a more secure opportunity for site users. This is more protection than you’d like get at a bar or at another meeting place.
Finally, the benefits of online dating become more and more in focus as people are more time constrained and efficiency concerned. People that are married to their careers or who have little time for going out appreciate the fact that they can search and be searched even while busy or in another engagement.
