subject: Why Put Your Heart Online [print this page] A 60-something former dancer looking for someone to go out with and trip the light fantastic; a 20-something single mother who had endured a series of abusive
relationships with men; a divorced dad living in rural Texas; a character actor who travels the world; a never-married rehabber living in Chicago. What do all of these
people have in common?
They turned to the Internet to find a date. Some are now happily married, others found the lifelong companions they were seeking, and others met wonderful people who
have brightened their lives. Their stories, which youll find within the pages of this book, will encourage you to follow their examples and jump into the exciting and
fast-growing activity of online dating.
Chances are youve heard about online dating in the news media. The reason that dating on the Web gets so much coverage these days is because its changing the lives
of people all over the world. The people who went online to find companionship a few years ago, in the early days of the World Wide Web, already had some technical
know-how about computers and how the Net works. Nowadays, everyone is looking for love online, whether they are Internet-savvy or not. These absolute beginners need
suggestions and instructions for how to do online dating efficiently and effectively. I say suggestions because there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to
online dating. Every time I thought I had a do or dont to convey, I found an exception to the rule. This chapter gives you an overview of the online dating
process and helps you plan the best way to start working (and playing) toward your relationship goals.
Advantages of Cyber-Dating
When you think about why traditional dating can potentially make you feel bad about yourself, you can probably come up with a quick list of challenges that include
- Competition. There are lots of people in your area who are looking for others to date, and many have the advantage of being younger, more athletic, richer, or
trendier than you.
- Time. You work long hours and/or have small children, and the thought of going out to bars and clubs at night makes you tired. You limit your dating, or your search
for dates, to weekends.
- Distance. If you live in a large metropolitan area, there are lots of places to meet people and lots of singles to meet. If you dont, youre at a disadvantage and
you might have to travel a long way to search for those that might be suitable dates.
- Confidence. Rejections, break-ups, divorces, and other setbacks can take a toll on your mental/emotional attitude. A simple lack of self-esteem might prevent from
you from even getting started with dating.
Youll notice that some factors you might consider to be obstacles arent mentioned on the preceding list: Youre overweight; youre too old; youre a single parent;
youre disabled; youre gay; you have a sexually transmitted disease; you smoke; youre a recovering alcoholic. The list of possible excuses goes on and on.
Characteristics that might make dating difficult in your own geographic community wont prevent you from meeting people online. When you have millions of people from
whom to choose, you are bound to find someone who is in the same situation you are or will applaud you for being just who you are. If you can overcome your fears in
your own mind, you wont encounter them in cyberspace.
