Virtual Dating
DATING IN THE NEW MILLENIUM
FEELING lonely and in need of a date? Well you may be looking for love in all the wrong places. Forget those candlelit dinners, or catching the latest romantic film with the guy of your dreams because dating in the new millennium is heading in a whole new direction, namely online.
Gone are the days of past generations when two people who liked each other met, courted each other and the closest physical contact allowed was the holding of hands. Sex in the past was not even an option until couples were happily married, and kissing was strictly prohibited!
But as we find ourselves in the 21st century, the way we view dating and our methods for meeting people have drastically changed and nowadays anything goes. For the few romantics remaining among us who are probably shuddering at the thought of interacting via technology, stock up on soppy videos as that is the closest thing to romance these days. But for those people who have crossed paths with Dr.Love online, I am told there is a whole new world waiting online to be discovered.
Traditional methods of meeting people have changed due to the introduction of the Internet. Often described as Virtual Dating, it takes the legwork out of finding a date and all the elements associated with dating.
The whole dating process of course involves, selecting a potential date, and then stressing out about what to wear! This is usually followed by which lipstick shade and perfume to wear, and ending in a tantrum because you've realised that the haircut you insisted on having the day before, doesn't suit your face! Aaaaaggghhh! So many decisions, so little time. But alas! After all this effort, if you are one of the lucky ones, he may turn out to be Mr Right, from the word go, and the earlier tantrums you experienced will be worth it. But for the majority of us, it usually takes a few dates with different guys, to find Mr Right which usually means we are subjected in the meantime, to putting up with the time-wasting, energy-consuming process of making conversation with a stranger who nine-times out of ten, turns out to be a complete loser, who is either spoken for, gay, or a complete psycho. But look no further I have been told; love awaits me around the corner!
The Internet, which has become the 'meat market' for the 21st century has replaced traditional 'singles scenes' of café's, video arcades and movie theatres. Virtual Dating encompasses a whole new set of rules and etiquette. This new outlet for single people to communicate has been embraced by hundreds of people with more singles sites and chat rooms being launched every year.
An avid campaigner for cyber romances and a strong believer in online romance is Teresa Mannix, author of 'Virtually Yours: The Single Girls Guide to Finding Love In Cyberspace'. In an extract from her book, she quite firmly states, "the internet is full of men. They are real men, smart men and men who are looking for real relationships." Mannix adds that her relationship with cyberspace initially was platonic but then the love affair began. In her book, she reveals that she travelled all the way to America to meet five different males she had been communicating with online. "Girls have choices. You can hang around the singles scene....or you can go online, find the right virtual places to go, then find your soul mate. He's out there...but instead of having just a city to choose from, you have a whole continent...a whole world".
Virtual dating can offer several advantages over traditional ways of meeting people. Namely, it is an inexpensive way as it costs far less to entertain someone in a chat room than it would cost to buy someone a few dinners per month. It is a fast medium that allows for quick responses via email as opposed to the traditional form of 'snail mail'. It can also be very convenient as people can access chat sites from their very own home, school or anywhere where they have access to the web. On the positive side, this eliminates the need to stress out about what to wear as you can meet people from the privacy and comfort of your own surroundings.
However, there are also dangers involved with virtual dating and cyber relationships. As the Internet is such a vast and openly accessible resource of knowledge, it can be susceptible to abuse. The Internet enables a person to have liquid identities, which basically entails that a person can have more than one identity, which is often the danger in chat rooms and email. The person you think you are communicating with may not necessarily be that person at all. People can hide behind their screens and invent things about themselves. It is only until you have some form of social contact that people truly reveal themselves.
Virtual Dating also leaves the door open for cyber stalking, which is harassment in cyberspace. Threatening emails and an infringement of someone's privacy constitutes stalking. Another point to consider is what happens when virtual romance meets reality? People have expectations and ideas of each other; what happens if these expectations are not met? People are nine times out of ten on their best behaviour on the Internet as they are trying to impress but this isn't necessarily an indication of their personality. As people are communicating online, there is a danger that they may be at risk of cutting themselves off from social contact and interaction with people in the traditional sense. It is this last point that has hopeless romantics reeling in their seats.
So has dating in the 21st century had its day? Dating, as we traditionally know it, is losing its appeal as people of all ages are opting to go online in search of their soul mates and companions. It is also true to say that people are becoming more impatient as we live in a society that is becoming increasingly fast-paced. And as time is precious, everyone seems to be looking for a quick fix.
While Virtual Dating will never fully replace the social contact between people, it is another avenue that people can explore, to aid in their search of a relationship and/or friendship. So all those single people out there, do not stress! There is hope yet.
- Annemarie Failla
FEELING lonely and in need of a date? Well you may be looking for love in all the wrong places. Forget those candlelit dinners, or catching the latest romantic film with the guy of your dreams because dating in the new millennium is heading in a whole new direction, namely online.
Gone are the days of past generations when two people who liked each other met, courted each other and the closest physical contact allowed was the holding of hands. Sex in the past was not even an option until couples were happily married, and kissing was strictly prohibited!
But as we find ourselves in the 21st century, the way we view dating and our methods for meeting people have drastically changed and nowadays anything goes. For the few romantics remaining among us who are probably shuddering at the thought of interacting via technology, stock up on soppy videos as that is the closest thing to romance these days. But for those people who have crossed paths with Dr.Love online, I am told there is a whole new world waiting online to be discovered.
Traditional methods of meeting people have changed due to the introduction of the Internet. Often described as Virtual Dating, it takes the legwork out of finding a date and all the elements associated with dating.
The whole dating process of course involves, selecting a potential date, and then stressing out about what to wear! This is usually followed by which lipstick shade and perfume to wear, and ending in a tantrum because you've realised that the haircut you insisted on having the day before, doesn't suit your face! Aaaaaggghhh! So many decisions, so little time. But alas! After all this effort, if you are one of the lucky ones, he may turn out to be Mr Right, from the word go, and the earlier tantrums you experienced will be worth it. But for the majority of us, it usually takes a few dates with different guys, to find Mr Right which usually means we are subjected in the meantime, to putting up with the time-wasting, energy-consuming process of making conversation with a stranger who nine-times out of ten, turns out to be a complete loser, who is either spoken for, gay, or a complete psycho. But look no further I have been told; love awaits me around the corner!The Internet, which has become the 'meat market' for the 21st century has replaced traditional 'singles scenes' of café's, video arcades and movie theatres. Virtual Dating encompasses a whole new set of rules and etiquette. This new outlet for single people to communicate has been embraced by hundreds of people with more singles sites and chat rooms being launched every year.
An avid campaigner for cyber romances and a strong believer in online romance is Teresa Mannix, author of 'Virtually Yours: The Single Girls Guide to Finding Love In Cyberspace'. In an extract from her book, she quite firmly states, "the internet is full of men. They are real men, smart men and men who are looking for real relationships." Mannix adds that her relationship with cyberspace initially was platonic but then the love affair began. In her book, she reveals that she travelled all the way to America to meet five different males she had been communicating with online. "Girls have choices. You can hang around the singles scene....or you can go online, find the right virtual places to go, then find your soul mate. He's out there...but instead of having just a city to choose from, you have a whole continent...a whole world".
Virtual dating can offer several advantages over traditional ways of meeting people. Namely, it is an inexpensive way as it costs far less to entertain someone in a chat room than it would cost to buy someone a few dinners per month. It is a fast medium that allows for quick responses via email as opposed to the traditional form of 'snail mail'. It can also be very convenient as people can access chat sites from their very own home, school or anywhere where they have access to the web. On the positive side, this eliminates the need to stress out about what to wear as you can meet people from the privacy and comfort of your own surroundings.However, there are also dangers involved with virtual dating and cyber relationships. As the Internet is such a vast and openly accessible resource of knowledge, it can be susceptible to abuse. The Internet enables a person to have liquid identities, which basically entails that a person can have more than one identity, which is often the danger in chat rooms and email. The person you think you are communicating with may not necessarily be that person at all. People can hide behind their screens and invent things about themselves. It is only until you have some form of social contact that people truly reveal themselves.
Virtual Dating also leaves the door open for cyber stalking, which is harassment in cyberspace. Threatening emails and an infringement of someone's privacy constitutes stalking. Another point to consider is what happens when virtual romance meets reality? People have expectations and ideas of each other; what happens if these expectations are not met? People are nine times out of ten on their best behaviour on the Internet as they are trying to impress but this isn't necessarily an indication of their personality. As people are communicating online, there is a danger that they may be at risk of cutting themselves off from social contact and interaction with people in the traditional sense. It is this last point that has hopeless romantics reeling in their seats.
So has dating in the 21st century had its day? Dating, as we traditionally know it, is losing its appeal as people of all ages are opting to go online in search of their soul mates and companions. It is also true to say that people are becoming more impatient as we live in a society that is becoming increasingly fast-paced. And as time is precious, everyone seems to be looking for a quick fix.
While Virtual Dating will never fully replace the social contact between people, it is another avenue that people can explore, to aid in their search of a relationship and/or friendship. So all those single people out there, do not stress! There is hope yet.
- Annemarie Failla
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