internet-dating

Any search marketing agency will emphasise the crucial role social media networking can play in helping their clients establish an online presence and gain recognition. Nowadays it is commonplace to meet industry contacts, business partners and even friends through social media. And of course, Internet dating has drastically altered the way we make romantic connections as well.

Whereas in the past, you might have found your soulmate when your eyes met across a crowded room, these days it’s far more likely that a pretty profile picture will catch your eye in a crowded chat-room or forum. Naturally, Internet dating websites allow you more control over the way you present yourself than a face-to-face social situation, and a growing number of singles looking for love are choosing the safety and anonymity of Internet dating sites over an evening crammed into a noisy, smoky bar or club.

Internet dating success stories are everywhere these days; TechNewsDaily reports that an astonishing 1 in 8 American couples married last year met through social media like an Internet dating site. Of course, social media is not only a popular way to meet romantic partners; it has become a tool to nurture those relationships as well. The Internet dating service is the new singles’ bar, and as an extension of this, the affectionate status update has become the new love letter; emoticons and virtual online gifts are the modern-day “sweet nothings” and tokens of affection. Forget carving your initials on a tree; just write on your partner’s Facebook wall!

The Internet is a free, widely accessible public sphere that couples are using to express their feelings for the world to see. And this isn’t limited to Internet dating services; online proposals are fast becoming the tech-savvy alternative to the traditional down-on-one-knee approach. Most notably was the recent incident in which the groom-to-be proposed via a video message to his girlfriend, delivered by Isaiah Mustafa of the newly-famous Old Spice commercials.

While the opportunities offered by Internet dating sites and social media are revolutionising the way we connect and communicate, Internet dating etiquette can be tricky, and severing online connections is harder than ever. The flip-side of making a relationship public online is an equally public break-up. While social media and Internet dating online give us increased freedom of choice, they also mean decreased privacy and the risk of baring a broken heart to the world. Despite the futuristic glamour of the social media romance, there’s still a lot to be said for good old-fashioned discretion. What are your thoughts? Have you or your friends tried Internet dating, or do you prefer a traditional approach to relationships?

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