Online Dating Ups And Downs

You may have heard it many times before or your friends may have suggested you use it, online dating has become a trend now. Websites and applications are spreading and many people are joining in on the trend but is it worth it? Do you really gain something when you do it? Are you just doing it because your friends pressured you or are you doing it to find true love? Whatever reasons you have, I think it's best that you know the advantages and disadvantages before engaging in that activity. From multiple researches and articles I've read, I have collected the common pros and cons of online dating.

Pros

According to many researches, accessibility is the topmost feature of online dating. One person can find multiple people either locally or internationally within a minute than they could find in their daily lives. It's a convenient way to search for singles that are ready to mingle with you without any effort at all. For people who are so busy at work or for people who are uncertain about meeting strangers, online dating is a good way to assess people's distinguishable qualities without any risks. You can hide your identity with the help of the Internet's anonymity so that you can test potential matches under a pretense of being someone else because sometimes people treat you differently depending on your appearance so being anonymous could help you get to know people better. Aside from this, there are some websites or applications where you can even filter what type of partners you want to match by choosing their location, orientation and lifestyle. Some also offers personality matching where you input your personality and the system then finds a user who will be compatible with your attitude. With this, you can totally match with someone who can understand you and shares the same interests. Technology has evolved over the years and it has helped us a lot in every area of our lives.

Cons

The major obstacle of online dating is communication. We know that communication is vital in every relationship so that it will flourish. Without this, there will be a lot of misunderstandings which could lead to arguments then break ups. When you are interacting with someone virtually, the essence of dating loses its meaning. You see, dating should provide information that can only be found in a face to face interaction. There are some certain gestures and cues that would give you some kind of hint that that person is really interested in you. Things like touching, or holding the door open for you or assisting you when you walk are actions that cannot be acted out when talking with someone online. We also have facial expressions which are important to know what the person really is thinking. I actually believe that nonverbal communication has an equivalent value with verbal communication. Using online dating sites could prove difficult if you are the type of person who cares about little details in a person.

However, there may be many benefits when you do online dating but there are also disadvantages to it. Although, experiences with online dating varies from one person to another like people having wonderful moments that end in satisfying relationships but for some, it's filled with confusion and frustration. Thus, much like any other ways to date, there are some pros and cons. Although it may not go the way you planned it, there will be good things and expect that there will always be good and bad dates.

How did you react when you found out you were the most messaged straight woman on OK Cupid?

It changed my career and how I think about dating.

I have my book out now! I would never have thought that I’d be a published author. I love empowering women through my work. People are very quick to forget about their worth. It’s important to remind them.

You weren’t always the most popular girl. Can you talk a little about your past?

I was heavily bullied for having a cleft lip.

My parents got divorced, and I switched high school a few times, so I never had a close group of friends. I grew up being bullied on social media, too. There was a MySpace page called “We Hate Lauren Urasek”. After I wrote my book, I received an apology from the guy who started that page.

Being bullied contributed a lot to my drive.