4 Myths About Free Online Dating

If you've considered using the Internet to find a significant other, you've probably heard plenty of conversations about why you shouldn't. The good news is that most of the reasons people will throw at you to support their view are myths. Below we debunk some of the most popular.

Only for Losers

Maybe you've been told you're not desperate enough to resort to the Internet or something similar. If not, it's only a matter of time before someone in your sphere explains that only losers or weird people are using the Internet to find romance and companionship. The reality is that millions of Americans are taking this route. Many use both online and traditional avenues for meeting new people. Others don't have the time and energy to scour the planet for a potential hook-up. And still more have realized there's more to meeting someone than a bad pick-up line over some over-priced drinks.

Free online dating is not just for losers - in fact, that might be a better term for describing the types of people who are trying to stop you from trying out a legitimate approach to finding a mate.

Different Than Real Life

Another common myth about free online dating is that there is a difference between the people you meet online and offline. For example, a friend might tell you that people online can lie about who they are. While that's true, there's no rule that says the person you meet in person isn't also a liar. Maybe he or she can't easily hide their gender or appearance but they can lie about their marital status, their employment, and other important factors of their life.

The real difference is that when you meet someone online, you can talk to them and find out why they are as people instead of just basing your attraction on physical lust or excessive alcohol consumption.

Not Safe

Although not as common for guys to hear, the old adage that meeting people online is dangerous may be true if you're a 13 year old but if you're a rational adult who takes basic, common sense precautions, you have very little to worry about. In fact, you're probably safer meeting someone through free online dating than in other places, such as bars and clubs. Date rape, for example, isn't likely to happen via the Internet but is a very scary reality for single women looking for relationships in bars all over the country.

Meeting someone and getting to know them before being alone is the safest option whether you're connecting on the Internet or in a club.

Never Works

Finally, when all of the other reasons you shouldn't try free online dating have been abandoned, your friends and family may resort to the "it never works" approach. However, that is also not true. A growing percentage of the marriages taking place every year are between people who first met via the Internet. Not all of them met thanks to free online dating, but this increase in long-term, successful relationships shows that finding someone on the Internet can definitely work.