Skip Church, Bars and the Gym and Find Your Date Online
Does this sound like you? You are single, well beyond the college scene, have a career and are looking for a life mate to share your interests and possibly settle down with? Do your well-meaning (and married) friends suggest the following?
- Go to the gym
- Sing in a community chorus
- Find a church
- Join a walking club
- Learn to bowl
- Drink at upscale eateries and bars
- Volunteer
- Just be patient and let fate run its course
- Online dating site
Ponder that last one. Everyone of dating age has heard of that option. You even tried one once but were rejected because they couldn’t match you. That was two years ago and that was pretty damaging to your self esteem and you have dared not venture there again. It’s bad enough to be rejected via text or in person, but to have a singles dating site reject you, well, it doesn’t get any lower than that. Unmatchable. Really? Despite the fact that 59% of online users say that online dating websites is a good way to meet people, you need more convincing. How about this. A survey found that 29% of all Americans know someone who met their spouse through online dating.
Online Dating Success
In any social gathering, there is always someone who knows of a couple who have met online and have made it down the aisle together. They are not the outlier. Instead, they are among the 23% of those with online profiles who made a lifetime match. That’s pretty encouraging. There are some stories, however, that make you leery. Of primary concern is safety. Are there secure online dating sites? The answer is yes.
Safety
The most secure online dating sites require background checks, and for this reason, charge a fee. But do not be deterred by the fee. There are 54 million singles out there and 38% of them are already using online dating sites. You’re not going to have the chance to meet that many people at your local church, no matter how involved you get. You’re going to walk a lot of miles or volunteer a lot of hours before you could meet that many potential mates. In fact, 53% of internet users agree that online dating allows users to get to know a lot more people, making it easier to find a better match for themselves. Sites that offer background checks help ensure that when you do decide to meet someone for a date, you’re meeting someone who is trustworthy. Considering 66% of online daters have actually gone on a date with someone they’ve met through a singles dating site, safety is of utmost importance.
Reliability
Look for a dating website that not only requires a background check but also works to verify the information on profiles. Very few offer age verification and information validation. A site that can boast no fake profiles is definitely one to belong to.
Patience
At least one of your friends was right. Finding your life partner does take patience, but online dating can speed up the process of meeting people with whom you have common interests. Considering 64% of people say that having common interests is the most important factor, let the computer find those men or women for you. Even if you follow your friends’ advice and join clubs and organizations that you’re interested in, that’s only one shared interest. Just because someone else likes singing in a choir doesn’t mean you share any other interests like cooking, skiing, travel, books, donuts, art or professional sports. An online dating site will match you with people who share multiple interests, making an even better match than you could probably find on your own sharing only one common interest.
The phrase, “You have to kiss a lot of frogs” may still hold some truth, but online dating allows you to scroll past the frogs on your computer screen instead of actually having to kiss them. Give online dating real consideration to find your prince or princess.
