Statistics indicate that from all the singles with internet connection, one third up to three quarters of them used the World Wide Web in order to find a better half. This makes the popularity of online dating unbeatable, particularly because the numbers do not only target virtual romances, but also analyze how many of them turned into something more serious.
USA and UK are two of the countries where these services are most successful and, according to the statistics that most reputable online dating websites conducted in these area:
- 42% of the American couples formed by partners aged in between 26 and 35
- 21% of the British couples formed by partners aged in between 19 and 25
have met on the internet.
Are online profiles what they really seem?
It would be impossible for so many people to rush getting married with partners whose profiles are not what they really seem. At some point, the mismatches will enter into the spotlights and this would happen long before a wedding. Nevertheless, the famous Dr. House’s line – “everybody lies” applies, in a particular manner, even here.
It is not about huge lies designed to scare everyone away, but rather about the general tendency of beautifying the truth when trying to find a partner on the internet – partner that, in a first instance, will only know about you what you reveal.
What are we tempted to beautify?
For a virtual relationship to develop, one would have to impress with words and photos. While people who use online dating do not pretend having jobs they do not have, they can still round up financial incomes. And it seems that men are more likely to state higher financial retributions. Speaking of higher, they are also known to claim being taller than they really are. Women on the other hand will want to shape their extra pounds.
As for the photos, they cannot just be Photoshopped. Some seekers resort to such gestures, yet their attempt is unveiled with the first visual contact, which does not have to be on a real date, but also on webcam. The easiest thing to do in this direction would be to choose the photos that make you look at your very best.
As online dating researchers discovered so far, women are considered more attractive and get more dates when looking flirty and watching straight into the camera, while men make a better first impression with mysterious snapshots projecting them while looking away from the camera.
What is the moral?
The moral would be that dating online should be taken step by step and the encounters on specialized websites to be used mostly as a starting point. Everything you consider about your potential date should be perceived through long chats, online or on the phone, with various approaches up to video calls. In this way, everyone will have more chances to know a lot better the people they want to have a relationship with.