Do You Believe in Love at First (web)Site?
This is truly the
digital age. You can’t do anything without using the internet. Due to the
digital craze, we no longer have to buy stamps to pay bills, keep to-do lists
on paper, write checks or use cash, go to the grocery store and walk down each
isle to get groceries or even spend money on long distance calls. EVERYTHING
is powered by the world wide web.
The internet has also
made people pretty lazy...especially in the dating realm. Back in the day, if
you wanted to meet someone you would go to a house party, a club/lounge or have
your friend set you up on a blind date. Nowadays, chat rooms are the equivalent
of the party scene and online dating is the same as a blind date simply because
you never know how honest a person will be. Instead of posting a recent
picture, they may post a picture of their cute older brother or even a complete
stranger. Or better yet, it may be a picture from 1994 when they were 50 pounds
lighter, so you never get to see exactly who you are dealing with...until that
first meeting.
You have to face the
fact that he or she probably posted information and pics of their ‘online
representative’. An ‘online representative’ is there to lure you in. It’s
nothing more than bait. It’s all and illusion. The profile is perfect.
Their pictures are amazing. The chat convo is up to par, but then you meet them
in person and that’s where it all goes wrong. They don’t look nearly as great
as the pictures they emailed to you. They are what I like to call ‘socially
awkward’ during the face to face convo and you cannot seem to force yourself to
become the slightest bit attracted to them. Where does that leave you? Back to
the drawing board, a.k.a. the internet, to go through the same process all over
again. But what happens after you kiss a bunch of digital toads? Will you
finally find the prince or princess? Is it even possible or does today’s dating
process force you to give up before you can get to that point?
Knowing that you can
Google a date, is it possible to have a love at first (web)site
experience? Can you look at someone’s profile on any dating site or
social network and instantly know they are the one for you? Is it
possible that your soul mate is out there in cyber-space waiting for the two of
you to connect IP addresses?
I know sites like Match
and eHarmony want you to believe that it’s possible, but I’m not convinced. I
want to meet my soul mate the old fashioned way. I want to be sitting in
Starbucks drinking a venti mocha frap when my man strolls up to me and asks for
my name and number while staring deep into my eyes. Or how about when I’m out
at the park going for a walk, he jogs past me and gives me ‘the look’ and
flashes a smile at me that instantly blinds me. (Hey, I can dream can’t I?) Do
people even meet ‘their person’ like this anymore? With my luck, I’ll meet him
right after an 8:00 am soccer game at Sam’s Club when I’m wearing yoga pants
and a tee-shirt. Not ideal, but it’ll work. Maybe we’ll meet at one of Sam's
infomercial-like live demonstrations that I love so much!
Many single people
utilize the internet to help them find love. It’s not all bad. When you think
about it, love has no limits. That means that your soul mate may live in
Australia while you reside in Texas. How would you have met without the
convenience of the web?
The internet has taken
away some of the obstacles that hinder people from meeting. It works for some,
but I’m still not convinced it will work for me. Maybe if I run across someone
in the local area that I just happen to meet while on a social network, I may
consider meeting them in person. I guess it’s really no different than meeting
a stranger on the street. I just can’t do the long distance thing. Been
there, done that, got the tee-shirt, hat and matching hoodie.
To answer the question,
no, I don’t think it’s possible to have a love at first (web)site experience.
You need to get to know the person by spending time together. Maybe other
people believe it can happen, but it’ll have to happen to me before I believe
it.
Let's hear your thoughts...