Remember the days when meeting someone online was something you just…don’t admit to? Or going on a fourth date with your online match, and concocting a story about how you ‘really’ met to tell your friends?
These days, online dating and gamer dating are officially mainstream. In fact, it’s one of the most popular ways for Americans to meet a partner. There are numerous best dating sites and apps catering to all tastes and preferences, from Disney fan dating sites to Interracial Dating | Black Dating Site, and dating sites for farmers. But then, what has led to this massive upswing in popularity?
It’s easy.
While we often complain about how hard it can be to find someone we’re attracted to while dating online, it does give us the opportunity to find people based on what appearance and attributes we find attractive. In real life, you can’t exactly filter by ‘location,’ ‘height,’ ‘eye color,’ or ‘salary,’ while online, we can do just that. There are free dating sites in Texas, California and almost every state in the USA. You can search for someone by what they like to do in their spare time, what kind of music they like, where they grew up, whatever you want. There may be more options, but it’s easier for us to narrow things down.
You can find things in common.
According to studies, more than 60% of people say having things in common is the most crucial factor when dating. Based on that, the ability to essentially shop for someone that has your ‘ideal’ characteristics sounds both crazy and great. Of course, it’s best not to get too attached to your perceived ‘dream person,’ or to be too picky if someone doesn’t have quite the full package.
It’s less scary.
No matter how old you are or how much life experience you have, sometimes, meeting people in real life is super intimidating. We’re not all built to just go to someone in a club, or a coffee shop, and introduce ourselves. Also, the idea of asking out a work colleague gives some of us tremendous anxiety. Meeting online takes the pressure off a bit. If you get to talk to someone, and they turn you down for a real-life date, it won’t matter so much. Approaching someone, and running the risk they’ll reject you, is much easier.
It’s fun.
Put simply, online dating can be really, really fun. It’s not always easy, but you can make it fun and light-hearted as long as you don’t put too much pressure on every interaction. You might find yourself chatting to someone you’d never have considered approaching in real life, or answering questions about yourself you’d never have thought to ask, or having whole new dating experiences with people from a vast range of backgrounds. In real life, we tend to gravitate towards people who are like us. In online dating, all bets are off, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. Get out there, and have fun with it!