Disadvantages of Online Dating

Online dating is often considered a good way to meet other singles without hassle. Although this may be true in many cases, there are disadvantages to online dating that you should take into consideration before making the jump.

Deception

One of the major disadvantages of online dating is that anyone can enhance the truth as much as he wants. Not all sites require a photo, and even those that do cannot guarantee that the photo is a real one. Clear signs that the photo may be a fake are strange backgrounds that might indicate a stock image, photos that appear professionally taken (unless the person is a model or actor) and photos that seem old rather than current. Since the internet makes it easy to lie, it's impossible to discern whether the ad is honest or the truth is being embellished.

Chemistry

While it's true that looks aren't everything, chemistry plays an important role in whether a relationship will work. Body language, appearance and even voice tone determine attraction, and none of those can be clearly evaluated through an online ad. Also, chances are the person writing the ad will leave out the negative bits, which can be something as simple as a tick or as serious as a disease. Even in an honest ad, in which someone seems to match the body type or look you prefer, chemistry cannot be guessed in advance, so you may end up spending time in a virtual relationship that has no chance of working, once you look at each other face to face.

Flirts

Even if the ad says a person is looking for a real relationship, chances are the poster will keep his options open for a while. Since many online daters have profiles in more than one site, this means they're getting responses from all over the place and from many different groups and types of people. Online flirting is fun, easy and somewhat addictive. If you're there for the fun, it's fine, but if not, make sure that you don't spend all your time jumping around profiles. Instead, concentrate on a few people whom you find interesting and would like to get to know in real life. This will weed out the ones who are lying about their status, the ones who are just looking for online fun and the serial daters.

Distance

Because online dating reaches everywhere, there's always the chance that you'll end up meeting and exchanging messages with someone who doesn't live anywhere near you. This may not seem like a big issue at first, but relocating is difficult when you have a career and a life set up somewhere. Long-distance relationships are extremely difficult, especially at the beginning. Unless you limit your search to people living within a short distance of yourself, you will have to deal with this issue at some point.

Cost

While online dating may at first seem cheaper than "real world" dating (no need to pay for drinks or cab rides), the truth is that most matchmaking sites charge a fee. This fee may not be all inclusive, and extras sometimes add up. Some websites charge a basic membership fee for setting up an account, but you will need to pay extra to receive messages, contact members or expand your profile. Knowing what the fee includes before you sign up will save you money. Also, you may not be able to see the type of ads available on the site until you pay for a membership, and once you do, there's always a chance that nothing there will match with your taste or preferences.

References

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Dating