Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: MCT Online dating has become part of American culture due to its exciting and fun possibilties of finding your one true love.

Can't find love on Cabrini Campus? Tired of trying to meet new people through friends, work or the local hangouts and bars? Well there's a new and improving industry on the Internet known as online dating, and it's just a click away.

Online dating has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world, according to americansingles.com.

"Online dating is pretty simple," Denise Saveoz, class of '05, said. "You are basically trying to tell people about yourself and make yourself sound as interesting as possible, by telling the truth."

Saveoz met her fiancé and best friend through online dating. She began using the method to meet new friends and have fun. "Meeting guys through friends and at bars wasn't working for me, so I decided to try something different," Saveoz said.

Most online dating sites let you create a profile, almost similar to myspace or facebook. On these profiles, online daters give their stats like their age, location, height, hobbies and personal goals. Being as specific as possible, these singles write out criteria of the type of person they are searching for, in hopes of finding a match within the millions of diverse members. Most online profiles are free and easy to sign up for.

"I would never use online dating," Adriana DePalma, a sophomore political science major, said. "I think it would be hard to find someone with that "it" factor, because everything is so resume."

Online dating can be very dangerous, if the member is not careful. "Online Dating Magazine" warns the users to never give out personal information too soon. Saveoz suggests meeting in a public place and driving yourself to the date destination.

"Online Dating Magazine" suggests the users to learn self defense and if necessary, run a background check on the person they are dating. "Anyone can just lie on those things," Christopher Sabatino, class of '06, said. "You never really know. Then again someone could easily lie to you at a bar too."

With the risk set aside, there has to be a reason why so many singles have switched over to the online dating industry. Saveoz said online dating is a great way to meet new people from places you might not usually venture to. Match.com states that it's okay to look and eharmony.com invites you to experience the eharmony difference.

"First and foremost have fun, but be safe," Saveoz said. "For the younger crowd I would use instant messaging as the first means of communication when talking to someone for the first time. You can also check to see if they have a myspace or a facebook to gain more insight on their life and circle of friends."

Saveoz thinks online dating is great because most of the people on various dating websites are looking for the same thing as her: commitment.

"I think it is better than a bar because it allows you to be picky and choose who you want to start speaking with, and possibly meet." Saveoz said.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools