In the technology-driven era in which we currently live, many people have turned to the Internet for their dating and relationship needs. Just a decade ago, many people believed that online dating carried a stigma of being for those who were incapable of meeting others in "real life." However, that stigma has all but vanished into the wayside, and today a very large percentage of the general population is turning to online dating. There are myriad reasons for this switch. Some like to be able to pre-screen potential dates, in order to (hopefully) weed out any mismatches. Many people are strapped for time and enjoy the convenience offered by dating websites. Still others like the ease of sending online messages, which is much easier than initiating conversation in a social setting.

However, there are still a lot of problems with dating websites. Some of these are annoying, while others can be a major problem when you're searching for potential soul mates.

For starters, many online dating sites tend to leave inactive profiles up for extended periods of time. Websites do this to boost their membership numbers and make themselves seem extremely popular. Popularity always leads to more sign-ups. Of course, what this means is that a lot of the profiles you are browsing are people who haven't logged onto the site in months. You might send one of these people a message and think they're ignoring you, when in actuality they haven't checked their messages in a year.

Also, many people use deceptive pictures and/or profiles when joining a dating site. While this may lead to greater response from other site users, it ultimately leads to humiliation and rejection when they go on a date and it is discovered they weren't who they claimed to be.

Another problem with dating sites is the prevalence of online predators. There are a lot of sexual predators on the Internet and they tend to gravitate towards online dating since the users are most susceptible to their predatory advances. Gone are the days when you could spot a sexual predator by his overly tight shirt, thin mustache, and penchant for hanging out by the playground, and these days, unfortunately, you have to be very careful lest you be fooled by an online predator.

The use of credit cards on online dating sites presents another challenging problem. Many online dating sites will offer a free trial, only to later charge your credit card without giving you any advance notice. You have to be careful to read the fine print before entering an agreement with a dating (or any) website.

Despite these problems, you shouldn't avoid joining a dating site if you're looking to find true love. Just make sure you are careful and don't let down your guard too much. Be careful when giving out credit card information as well. And if you're having trouble finding a match, you should consider a local or niche dating site, one that targets people with similar interests to yours instead of a generic site.