It's official! Online dating is the new black. It's been around for a while now but until comparatively recently it has been considered the realm of geeks and losers but now online dating is considered acceptable and, wait for it, cool.
Online dating is a great way to get to meet other people. You're relaxed in your own home or workplace (don't let the boss see you!) and you can go at your own pace. You can pick and choose who you speak to and what you speak about. What could be easier?
Well one of the downsides of online dating is exactly that - it's online. Suddenly the words you use, the pictures you display, the jokes you make are one dimensional. Emphasis, tone and body language have gone out of the equation so it becomes important to make sure that you're careful with what you say and how you say it.
To a certain extent, online dating becomes something of a process which involves carefully selecting what words to use, pictures to display and then tweaking them to make sure you get the best results.
Once you've got to know someone online it becomes a little bit easier and more like a "real" dating scenario. Conversation becomes more free-flowing and natural. However, getting to that point involves a process of asking the right questions and really getting to know the person on the other end of e-mail or IM.
It can take a little time getting used to the whole business of online dating. Initially it might feel a little mechanical and unnatural. That's probably because it is! However after you've tweaked your profile a couple of times, got used to the whole idea of online dating and had your first couple of e-mail exchanges, you'll fall into a natural rhythm and you'll never look back!