Online dating...internet ads will tell you it's the ultimate way to broaden your social horizons. Commercials will simulate through actors that its where to go to find the love of your life. Then Horror stories from blogs like mine may tell you it's the place to find kinks and freaks. The truth is, it's both extremes and everything In between.
As I suspected it would, just like PoF and OkCupid traffic increased just before the holidays, it has picked up once again just in time for summer flings to heat up the nights. So what becomes of all the rapid-fire messaging and rushed attempts for some summer lovin? Everything and anything you can imagine.
Depending on what you portray in your own profile and selectivity on who you message or reply to, you can meet the best and the worst people in your area. Actually, even outside your area.
If you stay online long enough or go on enough dates, you will meet the person who looks nothing like their profile photos (in the unfortunate way) and the person who looks exactly the same in every photo because they literally never change their facial expression. You will meet the person who you feel like you've known forever and the person who makes you wonder how they conned you into a date in the first place. You'll meet the person that could become your next best buddy or your next personal nemesis.
So when does it become just too much online dating to handle? When is enough, enough? Here are a few suggestions:
1) when you mix up stories between dates because you're too ADD to date just one person at a time
2) when you rely on PoF to provide a rebound after every real attempt
3) when you recognize the entire mini bar of sample profiles in your menu
4) when you receive multiple messages a week from old conversationalists asking you why you're still on the site
5) when you start sending messages like this...
And what impression were you trying to make exactly?
The bigger question that I think people ask is, is online dating worth it? Or do they wonder that if you've reached the point of needing online dating to find someone special, should you just end your hopes of reproduction and contribution to the species altogether? Well according to this guy, we are just negative Nancy's.
But then there are guys like this one who believe women may be caught up in the crazy world of hook ups but will eventually come to their senses.
So is online dating worth the hectic, nerve racking scenarios we put ourselves through. I honestly don't know. I just know that no matter where you are going to meet your future person, remember this, that was the way for you (and potentially only you) because ultimately, we all start out as strangers.