In the News

First it was Match.com. Then eHarmony followed suit. Pretty soon, Chemistry.com came along for the eHarmony rejects. And eventually, the online dating market was saturated - Nerve, Yahoo Personals, Jdate, PerfectMatch, OKCupid. Some people looked for love on MySpace, Friendster - and more recently, Facebook.

As we become more glued to our laptops and less engaged in society, the online dating world expands to fit our interests. A recent New York Times article shed light on this development noting there are now 1,378 dating sites - including those tailored to farmers, nerds, vegetarians, people with STDs, even Ayn Rand fans (seriously - check it).

When online dating first hit its stride, it was an interesting new way to meet people. But over time, it's become a breeding ground for social retards who would never get a date through normal human interaction and sex fiends looking for their next hookup. Think about it - many of you have probably tried online dating or know people who have. How many good stories do you hear? There are a few successes - long-term satisfying relationships, the occasional marriage - but the bulk of the tales seem to fall along the lines of either ambivalence ("Feh - I went on a few dates but didn't find anyone special") or complete horror story ("He pulled out photos of farm animals having sex"*). Online dating also makes it easy to not work on a relationship when things get rocky - why should you? It's like a smorgasbord, and the next best thing might literally be just a click away.

Some have said that online dating is a great way to meet people you wouldn't otherwise meet - but shouldn't you take that as a sign that these are people who don't run in similar social circles and are therefore probably not a good match? Others claim it's a great way to get dates if you're too busy to meet people "the traditional way." But if you can't be bothered to have a social life and personal interests that bring you into face-to-face contact with other people, how can you possibly make time for a relationship? Which leads me to this: Online dating is NOT a good place to begin a relationship. It's a good way to find coffee dates and sex buddies. If that's what you're after - go for it. But if you're looking for a true partner, for a meaningful relationship, GET A LIFE. Join a running club, campaign for your favorite presidential candidate, sign up for a sports league, take classes in subjects that interest you, attend any and all parties and social events you're invited to - even if you think it might not be your scene. Do what YOU love - and the love will come to you.

*I am NOT making this up.