Online Dating Pros & Cons

The online dating world can seem like a rather daunting, if not downright scary, place for those who have never tried it. What kind of people will you meet? Will you meet anyone at all? Is it just a waste of time? All very common questions from individuals who are considering joining an online dating community.

We’re not here to tell you that online dating is a fabulous idea, and that you should definitely sign up an account to see what it’s all about. Neither are we here to discourage from online dating. Our goal in this article is to give you the facts – the pros and cons of online dating. We’ll tell you what you can, and cannot, expect to find at a typical online dating community.

Since chances are you already have the worst case scenarios running through your head, we’ll start with the “cons” – the less desirable aspects of online dating.

Online Dating Cons

1. Online Dating is Not Guaranteed!
The worst problem with online dating is that it could honestly be an absolute waste of time. You may spend hours writing your profile, sorting through pictures to find just the right one, searching through thousands of profiles to start up communications, and you may not receive a response from anyone that piques your interest. This has a lot to do with how open-minded you are (are you being too picky?) and the online dating site you join (how many members are in your area?), but in the end, online dating is never guaranteed.

2. Cost of Online Dating
Some online dating services are reasonably priced, but many of them are rather expensive. If you join one of the top online dating sites, with an impressive rate of matching success, they will often charge more based on reputation. If you’re joining an “adult themed” online dating service, chances are you will be paying quite a few pretty pennies for those “adult” videos and explicit photos. The average price is about $25 a month, but some go as high as $35 and $40. If you’re really serious about online dating, do some research to find the most reputable online dating services, then sign up for an extended membership. It is much cheaper in the long run.

3. Avoiding Fakes and Phonies
Not everyone who joins an online dating service is seeking a special, long-term relationship, a casual dating experience, or anything considered a viable reason to join. You have your scammers, your weirdos and your freaks. Scammers are often trying to get you to sign up for some other paid online service (ex: women with “personal” web sites), or to get cold hard cash out of you with some sob story. These are easy enough to avoid as you can just ignore or block them. Weirdos and freaks, on the other hand, you’ll have to keep an eye out for. If anyone gives you an eerie feeling, cease communication immediately.

Online Dating Pros

1. Meeting New People
While most members join to find that special someone, many find out in the long run that the most valuable part of online dating is all of the new friends you make in the process. You’d be surprised just how pleasant the majority of online daters are, and yes, the majority of them are nice, down to earth people.

2. Building Confidence
One of the main reasons people join online dating services is that they lack the confidence to go out into the world and find what they’re looking for. It can be very hard to approach someone in person if you don’t have very high self-esteem. Online dating puts up a translucent mesh between the daters, making it much easier to approach someone, make the first move, try to get their attention. Without the fear of face-to-face rejection, we all become a bit more confident. Online dating can significantly build your confidence, so that – should you not find anyone online – you have the self-assurance and poise to find love in your every day life.

3. Compatibility Testing
Have you ever walked up to someone you wanted to get to know and started asking them questions, such as: “What kind of music/movies/tv shows do you like? Do you smoke? Have any pets? Have you ever been married? Got any kids?” Of course not! These are questions that so many people want to ask, but must wait until they get to know someone before unleashing. Not so with the online dating world. Online dating means profiles and characterizations. Before you ever communicate with someone, you should already know the answer to these questions and many more. Online dating services use compatibility to pair up couples, thereby guaranteeing the highest possibility for a successful relationship in the long-term.