Online dating has consistently been on the rise since the internet first began. Many people think about online dating as a chance to meet people and chat with them online from the comfort of their own home. It beats going out on blind dates that your friends have set up, or going to social functions like singles dances, etc. Those options just put single people in the spotlight, which is exactly where they do not want to be. There’s more and more single people out there everyday. Whether you are single, divorced/single or widow (er) single.

Online dating websites require you to become a member by paying a fee that is usually for a week or a month and you may cancel your membership at any time. After the membership is paid, the next step is to create a member profile. The profile usually consists of telling others who you are, where you are from, hobbies, interests and what type of man or woman you are looking for.

The next section asks you to tell people exactly why you joined the site whether it’s just to meet new people, make new friends, dating, or looking for someone for a long term relationship. After that section is completed, depending on which online dating website you select, the profile is different. However, at the end you are required to put a photo of yourself and create an email account. The purpose of the email account is to receive messages from interested people who saw your profile. You too can search the profiles and read various groups of profiles according to age ranges, hobbies, or where they live.

There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to online dating. Some of the advantages have already been mentioned, so let’s talk about some of the disadvantages. Let’s face it, the freedom of the internet allows you to go where you want to go, read about anything you want to read about, play online games, or chat with friends. However, with that freedom there are certain types of people that consider online dating sort of a game. Sometimes the photos aren’t exactly what the individual looks like today or isn’t even them at all. There are times when the profile has been kicked up a notch or two kind of like when people “punch up" their resumes.

All is not as it appears with online dating. Well at least some of the time. Numerous people have met their soul mates through online dating websites and have lived happily ever after. Online dating websites can be a lot of fun and you can meet great people just as long as you protect yourself by realizing not all people look at it the same way as you do.

Some of the better websites like eHarmony.com actually give their members a series of short survey like tests that help the website as well as the individual assess what type of person they are looking for. The results of the tests are posted on your profile giving other members the chance to read them to see if they are a potential match for you.