The Modern Way to Find Love

The phenomenon of online dating started several years ago, but these early dating sites were viewed with suspicion, and often deemed to be populated with nerds, geeks, weirdos or people whose motives were less than honourable.

However that is no longer the case. The stigma attached to online dating services, the notion that it is for people who cannot form relationships any other way is long gone. In part this was due to the fact that in those early days the internet was still a relatively new technology and access was nowhere near as wide spread as it is today. However times have moved on and we now live in a world where in the developed, industrial nations the majority of the population now has access to the internet in some form. This huge increase in access to the internet and the increasing use of online communication has totally changed the landscape. People have become comfortable with the technology and learned how to use it in the modern world. Consequently online dating has gone main stream and is not only acceptable, but is increasingly becoming the norm. Online dating is becoming the means by which a large and growing proportion of people of all ages start new relationships, and not just romantic relationships but also increasingly friendship too.

Let's face it, everyone is busy these days. The time we have for enjoying life and building relationships is important and valuable to us all. The old fashioned ways in which people met just aren't very practical today. Flirting with people in bars and clubs is just too hit and miss and all to often the old maxim that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince proves to be true. So what about someone at work? Well yet again not without problems, the biggest of which are the problems that can arise if things don't work out.

For many singles online dating provides an opportunity to look at a much bigger pool of potential friends or partners. Whilst no one can say that there wont be some frogs, you do at least have the opportunity to filter them out and find people who share your values and your interests. The process can start from the comfort of your own home and initial contact and exchanges can be kept at a safe distance until you feel comfortable and confident that you have found a suitable contender for your affections.

The internet has brought us enormous benefits in terms of time and money saved, new products and services tried for a whole range of things we deal with everyday. We buy insurance online, we bank online, we shop online, we chat online and we share our experiences with friends and family only. When looked at in this light it comes as no surprise that so many people now look for love and friendship dating online.

Peter S Williams is the co founder of Romantic at Heart online dating South Africa Romantic at heart is an international site that offers friends dating UK and online dating services