The Online Video Date: The Future of Relationships?

Online dating is one of those activities that you either do, or you don’t. Some will argue that it’s not anything like the ‘real thing,’ while others will justify their lack of social skills as the reason to pursue the web version. Additional reasons for choosing the web for socializing and meeting people may include time, lack of options in your area, or preference for meaningful ‘conversations’ online. With the rise of social networking sites, dating online doesn’t necessarily have to go through services like Match.com or Cupid.com. More people are finding their significant other simply through a friend-of-a-friend networks that can easily be tapped into at a variety of social networking sites.

Still, when uploading your photo, sharing your profile, and scouring the search engine databases of ‘availabilities’ isn’t enough, there’s always the option of web videos. The recent surge in user-generated video and file-sharing online has prompted the likes of YouTube and Microsoft Soapbox users to feature themselves and their friends as the stars of their self-made shows. The next step for the multimedia-friendly generation may indeed be the ‘Video Web Date’ of the future.

Think of an online biography -style video serving as your profile; it’s the perfect way to introduce yourself in your best light, and let the world hear and see you beyond a two-dimensional photo. It gives you the chance to create a scene, simply narrate a story, and pitch yourself to your audience. The next step could be the Virtual Date; if the frequency of uploading and exchanging became common ground and practice, a virtual date couldn’t be too far off. You could each engage in an activity, capture it on video, and share immediately; it’s the experience-sharing concept of the times at its best, and has potential to create a more user-controlled, interactive option for the online dating pools.