Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy a Membership to an Online Dating Service

It's Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

By Jessica Koth, published Aug 29, 2006
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For some people, online dating works. Services like Match.com and eHarmony.com are quick to share stories of couples who met, dated, and got married after having met through their service.

But, does it really work? For every happy and successful marriage, there are hundreds more people who strike out when it comes to finding love online, and its not because they weren't trying.

Here are ten reasons why online dating may not be for you:

10. Online Dating Stigma
Online dating has become a more acceptable means of meeting a potential mate, especially among young, busy professionals. In fact, a few years ago, ABC aired a show "Hooking Up" that followed 11 women through the trials and tribulations of trying to find a guy online.

However, there is still a stigma attached to online dating. Are you prepared to admit to your parents, your sweet old grandmother, and everyone else in your life that you met your match online? If you're not prepared to admit the truth, then that might be a sign that you're not completely comfortable with dating in a virtual world.

9. Not Everyone is Doing It
Ads and news stories touting online dating are all around us, but it's popularity is declining. According to Online Dating Magazine, in 2003 it was estimated that three million people paid for an online dating service listing. However, as of February 2005, 33% fewer consumers are browsing online personals today than they were in 2004.

8. Paying to Find a Mate
Yes, meeting people is hard. Any single person will tell you that. But if you step away from the computer, join a networking group for young professionals, volunteer for a nonprofit organization, or sign up for a class through your local recreation program, you will meet many like-minded people and may learn something new in the process.

7. What if You Had Been Born 100 Years Ago?
There were no Yahoo Personals or Match.com sites to help you find a mate. Some things are better online - shopping, getting up-to-the-minute news, and booking hotel reservations. Singles have coped without online dating for centuries and perhaps dating is one thing didn't need to be replaced with an online alternative.

 
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Takeaways
  • People have coped for centuries without Match.com & Yahoo Personals, you can too!
  • Online dating is decreasing in popularity.
  • If you can't admit to your granny that you met someone online, they online dating isn't for you.
Did You Know?
As of February 2005, 33% fewer consumers are browsing online personals today than they were in 2004.
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interesting perspective - online dating is probably not for everyone, though a lot of people have seemed to have success with it!

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Posted on 03/23/2008 at 4:03:01 PM

 
Continued.... Also, I wanted to say you do have some very good points. Before I found my husband I dated a couple of other people from Yahoo personals. They didn't match their descriptions at all, and their photos were very deceiving. I hadn't paid for the service. I had a free trial period, but by the time I wanted to contact my mystery man from the grocery store I had to pay $19.95. I guess I was meant to see my husband in the store that day, and Yahoo was just the tool I needed to get to know him. I was too shy to speak to him in the store, and he was with his daughter. He joked with me about being a stalker since I had the benefit of seeing him first. My situation was very unusual to say the least.

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Posted on 09/09/2006 at 7:09:00 AM

 
I met my husband on Yahoo Personals, but with a twist. I passed over his profile because I wasn't at all attracted by his photo. A few weeks after passing him over I saw him in the local grocery store, and I was very attracted to his looks. I also had a chance to see what his personality was really like as he talked to the check-out person. I liked his personality too. I hadn't planned on going into the store that day but was lured in by the smell of broasted chicken. I later met him through Yahoo. If I hadn't accidentally found him in the store I never would have contacted him because of a bad photo. I subscribed long enough to get his e-mail address. It was the best $19.95 I ever spent!

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Posted on 09/09/2006 at 7:09:00 AM

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