“But everybody’s doing it!” Well, if everybody jumped off of a cliff, would you do that too?
I feel as though Internet dating has become the topic of conversation more and more. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting to that age where my friends find it “acceptable” or it appears to be getting “safer.”
I personally have never done Internet dating. I hope to never have to do Internet dating. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling here, but I feel as though I am far too young to have to settle to the Internet to meet someone.
And I understand all of the arguments. It’s just another avenue to meet someone. There have so many success stories. It’s a way to get to know what kind of man you want to marry, and perhaps along the way, you’ll meet him. Blah blah blah.
When I give my side of why I will never use Internet dating, I claim that it’s because of the dangers. You have no other connection than a few e-mails and some pictures with background details. Maybe they used someone else’s photo. Maybe they’re like that serial killer who was really handsome and then he ended up murdering something like 30 women. If he had the Internet in his day, who knows how many that would have been! However, that’s not the whole reason.
If I were to succumb to dating via OkCupid or Match or EHarmony, perhaps I would find my One True Love. But then when my grandnieces and nephews ask how my husband and I met, I would have the lamest story ever. My seven-year-old self is still hoping that I can meet my Prince Charming in a romantic situation just like I saw in all of the Disney movies growing up.
What about the past centuries of people falling in love without a computer? They did it, and beautifully. William Shakespeare and Jane Austin believed in it so much, their stories have been retold a thousand times over. Case and point: a close friend of mine jumped on the e-dating bandwagon. She went on a couple of dates with multiple men. But the two guys that she decided to pursue longer than the first date, she met through the real world through her friends and social situations.
If you’re already using Internet dating sites and find it enjoyable, please, by all means, rock it out! Just don’t let this stop you from walking outside of your house to meet that man of your dreams.
