Mention to anyone that you date online and you get a number of reactions. These range from the opinionated “I’d never do that EVER!” to the curious ones who prob you for every single detail about your online experiences. Online dating is something a huge amount of people seem to find fascinating.
As a relatively new way of meeting people, which lots of people still haven’t tried, there are myths and misinformation surrounding the world of online dating. We thought it would be fun to take you through the major ones and prepare you with some answers to make sure the next time you’re jumped on by someone who does have a clue what they are talking about, you can put them in their place.
- Online daters are desperate.
This is a common reaction from people who actually wish they had the nerve to join RSVP themselves or who have been out of the dating game so long their opinions are worth less than the spam in your inbox. Ignore them and keep having fun.
- Online dating is full of weirdos.
As we keep saying, online dating very closely replicates the offline world. Surely we aren’t expected to believe that a crowded bar on a Saturday night is going to be entirely populated with perfectly well rounded, considerate and sane people? We all know different, which is one of the reasons online dating exists.
- Online dating is expensive.
Compared to what? The cost of a fruitless night out? DVD rentals to ease your boredom? 15 drinks to get the courage to talk to someone? We could go on but you get the picture. Besides, most online daters who join GDC seem to be more serious about finding a real relationship. All around it’s a smart investment.
- It’s not safe.
Let us be clear on this: any time you meet someone new you have to be cautious. This includes people you may meet through friends or on your own. Until you get to know someone, they are a stranger.
Daters often feel comfortable with their online matches after they email or talk to them first on the phone. Because they’ve had this communication, they feel they know them better than if they were meeting a complete stranger. The reality is that even with emails and phone calls, your date is a stranger until you take the time to get to know them.
- Everybody will know you are Internet dating.
One of the fears some daters have in “putting themselves out there” is that a friend or someone they work with will see it.
While it’s certainly possible that people may see your profile, the people who are looking online are the ones using the service. So if you’re worried about a colleague seeing your profile, don’t tell them you’re internet dating. They will probably never look online, unless they are online dating themselves.
- There are no singles in your area.
Chances are, even if you live in a small town, there will be singles you haven’t met yet online. That’s the great thing about GDC; it introduces you to people who probably live near you that you might never have met otherwise.
- Everybody lies.
The majority of people dating online don’t lie. Some do. Just like the offline world. Sometimes it’s just a matter of wanting to be accepted. Some people may post pictures that iaren’t quite current because they fear that if someone read their profile they wouldn’t want to meet them. Has anybody ever been 100% honest about themselves?
