The advance of the Internet in our society has had many positive and many negative effects. Although it allows us to make contact with people on the other side of the world as easily as talking to a friend who lives just across the street, it also has been known to introduce a layer of insulation between people, almost putting up barriers to real, substantial connection and human interaction. All of this depends on the individual, and one person’s positive experience is another’s nightmare. At the base of it, only you can decide what you get from the experience.

Online dating has grown as an option for people searching for love in the past decade. Most usually this will be operated through a dating website. To use a dating website effectively you must create a profile which explains a little bit about you – your age, interests, a bit about your daily life and your hopes for the dating experience. You should also include a picture – in which your face can be seen and you are not doing anything potentially off-putting. Many people will surf through tens of profiles that they do not like before selecting one they do like. It pays to maximize your chances.

When you happen upon a profile for someone who appears to have dating potential, you can send them a message and if they reply, you can begin to communicate via e-mail, then possibly by telephone, leading up to a potential meeting. This needs to happen at a pace that suits both parties however – one being too pushy will crush all possibilities before they even begin.