Gone are the days when people would actually have to get out and socialize to find their soul-mate. With the advent of modern technology, the internet allows you to sit at home, find and meet that special someone… or just a bunch of creeps!

There are millions of people around the world; the social butterflies who have no problem finding someone for themselves, the shy and reserved have some trouble but eventually they come around. If not, you can almost certainly rely on your parents to find you someone. However such is not the case any-more; with more and more people taking their lives into their own hands, to most people the concept of arranged marriages appears less appealing.

Online dating isn’t just restricted to a specific group of people. In fact you’d find all types of people, the social butterflies, the shy and reserved, creeps, sex offenders, possibly even criminals. These days a lot of people rely on these dating services to meet someone they could possibly have a relationship with.

Hmm seems legit…

Now this is the internet we’re talking about and we all know what goes on, on the internet. hese dating services aren’t just available for adults, because people can meet people on the internet anywhere, free chat-rooms, and social networks, sites specifically designed for teenagers to come together and talk in online forums.

Now hey, I’m not one to come in the way of someone trying to find their one true love, but know that the internet is full of weirdoes, and you might just get more than what you bargained for.

See the way these online dating sites work is by asking the member their personal details; basically a profile, likes/dislikes in about me box that needs to be filled out, and a profile picture so that people can see what you look like. Now people need to be careful, because you’ll be surprised how many people can use Photoshop, at least enough to make themselves look better. That is the first thing anyone on the internet needs to be on the look out for.

Friend and love? well my mom did say its time I get a wife

Quite often you’d find that these people aren’t who they say they are. People can use somebody else’s photos as their own, make up fake profiles and what not. Though this issue seems to be taken care of by the major dating websites where each user is verified to be exactly who they say they are, but come on, it’s the internet.

See people start a relationship with people online, without ever having met them, without ever seeing their face or hearing their voice. At least dating websites just allow you to meet people. Basically you find someone you like, send them a message and ask set up a meeting and see if things go well form there.

However there are some people who actually start a relationship online, without ever having met that person. Well, they meet them in chartrooms but is that enough to warrant someone’s complete trust?

Note: (did you know there are dating sites that feature avatars that you can create on meet people in a virtual world?)

a lot of the time, they’re not who they say they are

I can’t help but imagine the day when I meet a couple and I ask them how’d you meet? And they’d reply “the internet!” I’m not sure how I would react to that. I’m not saying that everyone on the internet is a creep but a lot of them are.` I mean for all you know you just got hitched to a serial killer. There have been so many cases where people meet each other online and the next day they’re found in a dumpster.

See it doesn’t matter what you do, but at least make sure that you are safe when doing it. Technology keeps evolving and so does everything else, even the way people meet and interact with each other. But a smart person knows how to balance out the pros and cons before taking a step like that. See online dating can be exactly what someone people need. There are lots of lonely people out there waiting to find someone they could spend the rest of their lives with. Chat-rooms and dating sites might just give them what they’re looking for, but try and understand that there are people exploiting this tool to harm you in many ways.

So what do you think? Have you ever tried online dating? Ever met a couple that hooked up on the internet?

Let us know!