By: Scott O´Brien “Right Here Waiting” by WolfSoul (Flickr)

Since the creation of the internet, people have used it

to connect with one another

“Free Internet” by hobvias (Flickr)

In 1995, match.com was launched, which was

instrumental in creating the online dating

revolution.

“Macintosh Plus” by Stefan Schlautmann (Flickr)

Internet dating has grown a lot since then, and

Match.com now has over 2.8 million paid subscribers

“Match.com” by Martin Ringelin (Flickr)

An estimated 30 to 40 million North Americans

now use online dating sites.

“Contacts in North America” by color line (Flickr)

In fact, today there are 1,500 sites that comprise an

industry worth over $1.5 billion

“Square.com” by Daniel Gilles (Flickr)

As online dating continues to evolve, innovative

dating services such as Tinder take a new spin on

traditional dating techniques

“Cupidtino” by Photo Giddy (Flickr)

Recently, more and more young singles have began to

look to the internet in order to find suitable matches

“Techno Teenagers” by Len Matthews (Flickr)

Today, 1 in 5 new relationships were started

on an online dating website

“Last Date” by aBbYhaLO (Flickr)

Online dating is a great way to save time by

allowing you to “screen out” the people you

are not interested in, based on their info

“Prohibited Google Glass” by M.A. Cabrera Luengo

You can also meet people outside of your

geographic area and social circle

“Multicultural Crayons” by Nathan Gibbs (Flickr)

Meeting lots of different people also allows you to

find out what you are looking for in a partner

“Standing out from the crowd” by Marina del Castell (Flickr)

However, there are some disadvantages of online

dating as well, including scammers and bullies

“Bullying-739607” by Pimkie (Flickr)

1 in 12 users of social media sites have claimed to

have been the victims of online abuse

“Bullying” by Daniele Zanni (Flickr)

People are also known to lie about several of their

personal traits, including height, income, and

especially age

“Income Tax” by Alan Cleaver (Flickr)

There is also a negative stigma that is associated

with the practice of online dating. In 2013, 21% of

internet users felt that people who used online

“Desperate Housewife” by Rob. (Flickr)

It can also be difficult to tell how serious your

potential partner wants to be. Many online

daters exhibit “window shopping” mentalities

“Window Mannequins” by Tim Noonan (Flickr)

There also is privacy concerns with sharing

sensitive information about yourself over the

internet

“Privacy” by Frederic Poirot (Flickr)

Still, 17% of newlyweds last year met online,

and that number will continue to increase

“Newlyweds” by Sean Davis (Flickr)

Although it is important to be careful, online dating is

continuing to grow and will a major trend in the future

“Buddies” by shaundon (Flickr)

THE END

“Hotter Online” by Cali4beach (Flickr)

Bibliography

Koester, S. (2014, Jan). Disadvantages of Online Dating. Retrieved May 2014, from Global Post: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/disadvantages-online-dating-6253.html

Palmer, G. (2014). 10 Pros & Cons of Online Dating. Retrieved May 2014, from Your Tango: http://www.yourtango.com/experts/mrs-grace-pamer/10-ways-internet-has-changed-dating-scene-expert/page/2

PEW Research. (2013, May). Attitudes Toward Online Dating. Retrieved May 2014, from PEW Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/files/2014/02/FT_online-dating-attitudes.png

Romance Reality Check. (2011, November). Statistics. Retrieved May 2014, from Romance Reality Check: http://www.romancerealitycheck.com/stats.htm

Statistic Brain. (2014, January). Online Dating Statistics. Retrieved May 2014, from Statistic Brain: http://www.statisticbrain.com/online-dating-statistics/