Love in the Digital Age

People spend more time caressing keyboards, stroking touchscreens and gazing into gleaming pixels than they do engaging with the people around them, so it’s no major revelation that one in five relationships has its origins online, and that this number grows by the day. It’s more convenient and practical to use the internet for browsing groceries, books and shoes, so why not use it to browse for a potential partner? The increasing number of free online dating websites means there are no barriers to giving cyber-courtship a spin. If you’re considering finding your next partner online, ponder the following top tips before you go live.

Be Honest

Whether you are venturing online for a casual encounter, to appease your curiosity or just to augment your love life with a bit of adventure, be honest about what you are looking for, and, more importantly, in how you present yourself. It’s very easy to conceal flaws with a flattering, Photoshopped portrait from ten years ago or a deceptive description, but the only person you’re betraying in the long term is yourself.  While we all want to show ourselves in the best possible light, if you are honest about the fundamentals you’ll have a much better chance of success.

Forget Soulmates

Don’t discount someone just because they don’t fit with your preconception of what an ideal match should be; it’s true what they say, opposites do attract. Relationships are as much about the challenges, the differences of opinion, and the life experiences that shape them as they are about the harmonious common ground. If you have a roster of potential dates, try at least one profile with differing interests to you. You might be surprised how much you can learn from one another.

Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst

It’s very easy to engage online. Cyberspace affords you a safe haven from which to calculate the wittiest response, fine-tune your rapport and charm even the most recalcitrant individual. Unfortunately, in the real world, people might not live up to the hype. That guy with the wickedly cynical slant on things proves to be a miserable malcontent. The girl with the sparkling green eyes has a voice that could shatter an anvil. Sometimes, things don’t work out. Regroup, learn from experience, and remember…

…Other Methods are Available

A dating profile is only the tip of the iceberg. While it might highlight some of your key characteristics, it can never define you as an individual. You might have a quirky way of wrinkling your nose when you’re thinking, an incandescent laugh or the kind of presence that lights up a room. The truth is: some people are just better in the flesh. Supplement your online dating activity with other fun ways of meeting people. Check out local, hobby-oriented singles events. From book-groups and cocktail nights to frantic speed-dating and film clubs, you’ll be surprised how much is out there in the real world for an intrepid singleton.