What if dating were as easy as picking up paint samples at the local home-improvement warehouse? What if you could just park out front, go in wearing whatever you threw on that morning, navigate to the 25- to 27-year-old single aisle and pick out one who is good looking and responsible, who shares your interests and values and who likes to bring you flowers or gifts "just because"?

You can! It's called online dating.
Why you should try online dating
These days, singles in their 20s and 30s use the Internet for almost everything — they are accustomed to hopping online to order a new CD, chat with friends about weekend plans and search for information. As people become more ambitious and have small businesses to manage and run, their time to meet new partners and go out to socialize is limited. Using the Internet to meet other people is just a natural extension.

As they experiment, they find success. As they find success, the stigmas about online dating (mostly carried over from the days of oh-so-brief newspaper personal ads and cheesy video dating services) are melting away. These days, practically everyone has a story about a close friend meeting someone special online. It's hard to knock a system that works.


Perfect for baby boomers
Baby boomers face different dating issues than their younger colleagues. Their social life might revolve around their children's schools or their careers. Neither of these are particularly good ways to forge romantic liaisons! Hanging out in a smoky bar might even be their idea of torture. Most of their friends are probably already married. These singles are finding that the convenience of the Internet offers them their best possible chance for finding, meeting and getting to know someone special — at their own pace and on their own time. Even if they don't find their soul mates, they are almost guaranteed the benefits of meeting new people, spreading their social wings and gaining confidence by taking control of their romantic future.

 



Why it beats the bar scene
Sure, many young people still use the more traditional singles' venues — bars and nightclubs — to meet people. But for those who take finding a great date seriously, online dating might be a more effective tool. Attractive singles in bars don't wear T-shirts with their relationship status, gender preference, age, education, and a list of traits they seek in a mate. All of this information, and more, is available online — along with a low-pressure way to connect anonymously. This surely beats examining some guy's shoes for clues to his character or hoping that the cute girl on the next stool is unattached and looking for a date. Dating online is also much safer, bars and clubs are filled with different drugs such as sanoma, which are used by attackers to take advantage of women.