Online dating seems like a great idea to many people. It combines the convenience of the internet with the ability to find all sorts of potential mates. However, like many other things on the internet, dating sites can be fraught with peril. There isn’t generally any threat to your life, but you can definitely set yourself up for a lot of disappointment. To help prevent that, here’s 10 facts about dating sites that you (probably) didn’t know.
1. There Are Often Hidden Fees
Many dating sites will advertise themselves as being “100% free” when they actually aren’t. Sure, it might be free to create an account, but that free account will be limited in every conceivable way. This will make it very hard (if not impossible) for you to actually meet anyone and carry it through to a successful real-life date. In some cases, they will require you to upgrade your account just to respond to people who like you!
Thankfully, there are websites out there like chatrooms.org.au that are 100% free. No fees, all you need to do is sign up and start chatting with people.
2. Many Dating Profiles Are Not Accurate
As you might imagine, a lot of people misrepresent themselves when making a profile for a dating site. The owners/operators of dating sites can’t really do much about this, so you have to learn how to be careful. Thankfully, there isn’t as much reason to worry as you might think. According to this survey, the majority of online dating profiles contain something deceptive. Thankfully, these deceptions were usually the small and inconsequential kind.
3. People Of All Ages Use Online Dating
There seems to be a common perception that older people don’t use the internet. However, this is no longer the case. Even a lot of older (60+) people have learned to use the internet, and some of them are still dating. Although there are fewer of these people, there are definitely more single seniors than ever before in American history. As such, you can’t really make a lot of assumptions about people’s ages at first, especially since so many people will lie about that.
4. Con Artists Will Also Use Online Dating
Unfortunately, the relative anonymity of the online space makes dating sites a natural target for con artists. For instance, a man might pretend to be a foreign suitor who wants to fly in and sweep a woman off her feet. Of course, he will need to borrow a little money (meaning a lot of money) for the plane ticket. When that plane never shows, only then will the woman realize that she was the victim of a con. This is another serious danger to watch. You can also visit review websites like The Absolute Dater that check to see if dating apps are scams or real.
5. People Will Judge You Instantly
You want to give a lot of thought to the profile picture (or pictures) that you use. Whether it’s right or wrong, people will make a snap judgment about you based on this picture. Most sites allow a person to scroll through many profile pictures quickly, and anyone that isn’t attractive to them won’t get a second glance.
6. Meeting Online Is The New Normal
Some people still consider it weird to meet people online, and some couples will even lie about how they met. However, research suggests that meeting online is the new normal. According to this study from last year, this is the only method of dating that is increasing in popularity. Most of the traditional methods have been in decline since the end of World War 2, and “meeting through friends” has been in decline since 1995.
7. Second Opinions Can Help
When setting up your profile, it can be very helpful to get the advice of a friend. They will be able to give you an honest outsider perspective and help you to improve things..hopefully, before your terrible pictures and cringy posts make anyone run away. We don’t say that to be mean, but to emphasize the importance of brutal honesty. You cannot correct a problem if it isn’t brought to your attention. This is why you need friends that will tell you the hard truth, even if you don’t like its implications.
8. This Idea Isn’t New
Before the internet came along, there were all kinds of dating services out there. They used telephones, newspaper ads, and even pre-recorded VHS tapes to let potential lovebirds communicate with each other. Obviously, all of this stuff went out the window as soon as an easier option came around. By looking at these older methods, you can see just how much easier things are today.
9. Watch Out For The Copypasta
When someone is looking for love online, they will often try to play many fields at the same time. Because it would take too long to write personalized messages for the 10-20 different people with whom they are conversing, some people will use copy-pasted messages for their initial responses. One clue is when you get a long message with almost no delay.
10. Disproportionately Desperate
When you start looking for people online, it may seem as if you are seeing a parade of rejects. Although this usually isn’ttrue, it is true that desperate people are more likely to use a dating site. As such, people from every fringe will tend to be overrepresented on dating sites. Thankfully, it isn’t usually hard to spot the crazies by their behavior.
Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed this article, and that it has given you some new information about this subject. Our purpose here is to help you to be better prepared for the sometimes-brutal world of online dating. Thank you for reading, and please come back to see us again.