Practically ever since the personal computer or Apple has been in existence there have been people “linking up” through them. The whole idea of a personal sized computer in a home was to connect with the world via the newly formed internet. The 1990’s saw enormous growth in the social side of computing and soon online dating services were born.
Meeting old high school classmates
Social sites like classmates.com became the place to search for old friends, high school buddies, and former romantic interests in the 90’s. Former neighbors, since moved to far away destinations could contact one another and reminisce about the good old days of high school and even bring old romances back for a reflection and perhaps fan the flames for a while. Today such sites are more popular than ever due to advertising campaigns and a constant influx of new people to the internet.
Why not try out a personal dating service?
Sites like Match.com, eHarmony.com, ChristianMingle.com, or Plentyoffish.com and for the more adventurous check out sites like AdultFriendFinder.com. are hugely popular with single people of any age but beware of bogus folks who may not be who they say they are on such sites. Some married or single people “surf the net” just for fun or to link up with someone hoping to have “cybersex”. Choose a dating site that screens applicants well if you wish to have a safer more user friendly experience when meeting someone.
Do not let an online romance destroy your marriage!
It is very easy to become romantically involved with another online. Some have even met in the “real world” and turned that virtual interest into something far more complicated and harmful to nearly everyone involved. It’s difficult to explain how a romance can blossom while chatting in a web site’s chat room or through e-mails but it does happen! Programs like AOL, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, and StumbleUpon can be great places to meet someone new and even old friends who want the social contact with others simply for friendship. And as long as conversations are kept away from romance and sex the contacts can be fun and interesting.
Keep an eye on the kids with internet access!
Younger children (age 5 and up to sixteen or so) have a fascination with the internet and when meeting others of their age and with similar interest, can have fun and learn how others live. This is especially true when communicating with other children who live in other parts of the country or even around the world. However, just like the predators found on dating sites, there are those who want to cause harm to your children so keep a close eye on who and where those your child chats with are. To answer the original question of Does online dating work? The answer is yes! but with the advice of being cautious. Let’s all keep the internet and social web sites fun and safe for us all!