There are many people who have some kind of awkward or horrific story about an online dating encounter they have had, whether it was in person or online (if they even showed up, you are considered lucky by some).
Don’t get me wrong, some experiences turn out great, and some people gain friends out of it, if nothing else.
Overall, meeting someone the old fashioned way is the best way to go.
1. People are much braver online.
It’s much easier for people to say things when they aren’t face to face with someone. Hitting “enter” or “send” is a whole heck of a lot easier to do when you don’t have to worry about someone’s physical reaction. There are way less sticky consequences and accountability when talking to someone online. Also, it makes it easier for others to lie to you because they aren’t being held to a certain standard and don’t have to reply to a message if they don’t feel like it. Overall, people are much more likely to say something they don’t mean online than in person.
2. People can be someone else online. (literally and figuratively)
You could think you’re talking to a 24-year-old guy named Kevin who goes to church regularly and loves spending time with family and friends but, in fact, you’re talking to a 50-year-old catfish. Not only could you end up being catfished, you could also just be completely misled as far as personalities. You could get along with someone online great because they tell you they have a lot of common interests when they are actually just trying to impress you or get you to like them. It’s hard to get to know someone just based off what they say online.
3. You don’t have anyone to talk to about them.
It’s hard to get to know things about someone when you don’t know any of their friends to talk to. One of the great things about dating and meeting people the old fashioned way is that there is more of a chance you could have mutual friends. You also have someone you can talk to face-to-face with about the person you are dating/interested in dating for advice and find out what they like, but when you date online, you aren’t as likely to have that.
4. Online daters aren’t always looking for what they say.
Sometimes people say they are interested in one thing but really want another. Someone could have on their profile that they are looking for a “serious” or “long-term” relationship when they actually just want something more…casual, if you know what I mean. Sometimes this happens because they want to get people's attention and then let them know what they want. They want to see whom they can attract and then decide who they want to talk or pursue something with.
5. Chemistry and conversation seems to flow — but it isn’t natural.
Casual conversation seems to be flowing, but it is actually being forced. Talking online already forces people to talk to each other because that is the only interaction happening. It’s hard to have casual conversations online when you can’t see someone’s reactions and expressions. Chemistry isn’t something you can automatically really feel when talking online. It’s also hard to tell how genuine someone is being when discussing things online.
I’m not saying that online dating is horrible by any means, because I have heard a few success stories about it. In my opinion overall, it is best to stick to dating locally and getting to know people around you, such as mutual friends, fellow classmates, etc. It’s easier to get to know someone you can hang out with a few times a week, and you know they aren’t a catfish.
