Pros and Cons of online dating adverts fill our inbox, ads
appear on a large percentage of the websites we visit, and
they even, on occasion, show up on our television screens.
Because of the percentage of people turning to the Internet
for a date, it is important to keep in mind the pros and
cons to online dating.

PROS: One of the biggest advantages to online dating, is
the vast number of people who have signed up on dating
websites looking for their one and only. This allows you to
meet more people who are interested in dating, quickly or
not. Online dating websites give you more choices in who
you meet, because you are given the opportunity to browse
through countless of online profiles with or without
pictures (you can always request a picture/s) before
deciding who you would like to start communicating with.
You can also abstain from communicating with someone if you
so choose, while still remaining anonymous.

The opportunity is much higher for you to get to know the
person you are interested in, because their profile gives
you an idea of the person's personality, interests, likes,
dislikes, ethnicity, religious background and so on before
you get to meet them in person. Email and instant messaging
are also popular methods for people to communicate with
each other. The cell phone is also practical, (do not
recommend giving your home number while in the first stages
of getting acquainted).

Another reason why online dating is so popular is because
it eliminates the fear of the rejection factor as well as
the social awkwardness that one might feel when meeting
someone new, because initial interaction is anonymous
throughout most online dating websites.

CONS: There are still people who will join dating sites
just to look at profiles, even if they are not interested
in dating. So you may be interested in his/her profile but
he/she won't be interested in yours. The numbers of women
who have joined the online websites far outnumber the
number of men. Good for the men who have joined.

The number of online dating users who misrepresent
themselves is quite high. The anonymity of such sites gives
them this opportunity. Most often it is about their
appearance, age, economic status, and even gender. Single
does not always mean what it should. Some people claim to
be single when in fact they are still married or in the
process of a divorce.

Online scams are very prevalent on the Internet and it is
seeping onto the online dating websites. Users will fill
out a profile in order to collect addresses and in turn try
and scam them out of money. The only thing you can do is to
protect yourself first. That old saying, "if it sounds too
good to be true it probably is", carries over into online
dating. Be cautious of who you meet and where; and always
let a friend or family member know where you will be. While
there are many wonderful success stories of couples who
have met online, there are just as many disappointing
stories of first meetings that never turned into second
ones.