Internet dating is here to stay. More and more people are waking up to the power of the internet to deliver a fantastic and varied social experience. We now live in a world where our potential social reach is far greater than it ever was before. We can have instant and cheap communication across the globe all in the comfort of our own homes. Surely this can only be a positive thing especially when it comes to internet dating?
With every great thing there is always a potential downside and I think that in the case of internet dating the potential downside is our own wants, needs and expectations. We now live in a world of instant gratification where the focus can be one of singularly selfish self-interest. Remember that most people surf the internet alone. You are sat in your own little bubble satisfying your needs - it is hardly surprising that this naturally leads to higher personal wants, needs and expectations. Selfishness in itself is not a problem. We all need to pamper and look after ourselves but in the realms of relationships or potential relationships, selfishness is incredibly destructive both to your partner and to yourself. Put simply, selfishness or apparent selfishness is not an attractive quality in a potential long-term partner. If you come across as self obsessed or overly goal driven it can be a real turn off and make you appear to be desperate.
What I am trying to say is that when you sign up for internet dating try to have a realistic expectation in mind, particularly in terms of the time it may take you to achieve your goal. Unless you are extraordinarily lucky, you will not meet your soul mate within the first week of joining. Internet dating is just a more focussed version of normal dating. Expect to have a number of contacts with people who find your profile attractive. This is entirely normal. Expect to be happy with some and not so happy with others - remember this is you spreading your net wide - sometimes you catch nothing, sometimes you catch a lot of rubbish and sometimes you get a really good catch.
My advice is to relax and make having fun your priority when dealing with these events and don't try to rush things. They are part of the road to your success in internet dating. When you are travelling a road there is much to be said for taking the time to look at the scenery before you get to your destination.
