YOUR VIEW on online dating vs traditional dating Options

[lillylin91]

hey... i'm doing a sociological research paper on the issue of online dating... i REALLY need some opinions/feedback of what people think of it. I need a broad range of people to answer these questions, so I'd FULLY APPRECIATE it if any of you guys can help me by answering me these questions. since i'm only 18, i don't know anyone who online dates....

if you've only dated "traditionally" (face to face, meeting people in real life) then please answer any of these questions:
1. would you try online dating?
2. How long would you wait to meet the person in real life?
3. Would you exaggerate or make up things to make you seem like a better person?
4. Do you find online dating strange or awkward?
5. If you did online date, would you openly tell your friends/family?
6. What are the advantages of online dating?
7. What are the disadvantages of online dating?.
8. Would you feel like you missed out on the “real” dating process of which you would see, touch, feel the person? (such as going to the movies, dancing, eating together)
9. If you had to choose, would you prefer to online date or traditionally date?
10. What is the reason(s) that are keeping you from online dating?

if you've online dated, it'd be even MORE helpful. Please answer THESE questions:
1. Which online dating service did you use?
2. How much did it cost and do you think it was worth it?
3. How long did it take to find your match through online dating?
4. How would you and the other communicate?
5. How often would you communicate with them?
6. Was it difficult to express your emotions through the internet?
7. When did you two first meet in person?
8. Was it awkward to first meet them?
9. Was this person what you expected from their profile and how they acted on the internet?
10. Did you exaggerate or make up anything on your profile to make yourself more attractive to potential dates?
11. If different, how so?
12. Was it strange or awkward to try this new method?
13. Was it strange or awkward to tell your friends/family about it because some people frown upon it?
14. Regarding to your political views, would you consider yourself to be more conservative or more liberal?
15. Did the relationship through online dating last longer than the one through traditional dating?
16. What are the advantages of online dating?
17. What are the disadvantages of online dating?.
18. Do you feel like you missed out on the “real” dating process of which you would see, touch, feel the person? (such as going to the movies, dancing, eating together)
19. Do you prefer online dating over traditional dating?
20. From your experience of dating in both ways, which method would you recommend?

okay, thank you SO much for your cooperation :):) please also mention your name, age, gender, religion or whether you're athiest, and description/general location (completely urban, rural, isolated city, etc) thanks!!!

[mipadi]

I'm 24, male, and an athiest. I prefer the moniker "progressive" to "liberal" to describe myself. I currently live in an urban area, but I grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania.

1. would you try online dating?
Probably not. I prefer meeting people in real life. I've only ever made a few friends online. I guess I kind of see it as a separate world, in some ways.

2. How long would you wait to meet the person in real life?
I dunno, since I've never done it; probably somewhere on the order of months.

3. Would you exaggerate or make up things to make you seem like a better person?
No, I've always been pretty honest about myself in my online persona, especially as I've gotten older.

4. Do you find online dating strange or awkward?
Yeah... I guess I've never found the Internet to be a valuable resource for making long-term friends, and I prefer to associate with people I know in real life. Maybe a lot of it has to do with hobbies: the things I like to do are difficult to do over the Internet, but sharing interests are what brings me closer to people.

5. If you did online date, would you openly tell your friends/family?
Probably not.

6. What are the advantages of online dating?
I dunno. I guess some people are more "honest", or confidence, on the Internet; conversely, some people find it easier to lie about themselves online. I think people overall are less shy online, whether they are telling truth or lies about themselves. Also, if you can't see a person, you might be less likely to make judgments about someone.

7. What are the disadvantages of online dating?
Well, it's nice to spend time with the person you're dating. It's nice to have someone over to watch a movie or go out or whatever. It's nice to interact with their family (once you get to know them well). It's nice to go out with groups of friends. It's nice to get away from your computer or the phone and just go to a café or bookstore and read with someone.

Plus, I think people are, overall, much different online. On Internet forums (CB is no exception), etc., I feel like people are presenting a completely different person than they really are in real life. It makes it harder to really connect with someone when you don't know them offline.

8. Would you feel like you missed out on the “real” dating process of which you would see, touch, feel the person? (such as going to the movies, dancing, eating together)
Absolutely. It's good to get off the Internet and interact with the "real world", especially with the person you're dating. Talking on Google Chat, Skype, email, the phone, etc., just gets boring after a while.

9. If you had to choose, would you prefer to online date or traditionally date?
Traditionally.

10. What is the reason(s) that are keeping you from online dating?
Well, right now I'm already dating someone (in "real life") so there's no reason to date someone online. But mostly for the reasons I listed above: online dating feels awkward, it seems like it's not as much fun (I know from being in a long-distance relationship that just talking on the phone, etc., gets old), and it's hard to tell whether you're interacting with the "real" person or just an online persona when you're communicating exclusively over the Internet.