TECHNOLOGICAL DATING

     From arranged marriages, to long engagements, to love before sight, technology has brought dating to a whole new level. Are we living life or living on our computers? I suppose it has happened in the past, where someone might fall in love with a rock star before even meeting them, but this was not mutual and in rare instances did they end up married. I guess you could say this happens with inmates and women as well. It appears that women love sweet words, accompanied by a few details left out!
   With all the new dating sights (hundreds, some free and some you must pay for) and tests we do not have to put much effort into finding our soul mates now; there is someone to do it for us. Now we can go on virtual dates (anywhere in the world), and video dates with our cell phones or computers. Just answer some questions and post a picture and you'll be married in no time. For those of us who do not appreciate social interaction, this would be great. For a shy guy or gal, who did not venture out much (not a drinker or didn't attend church), this could be ideal. They get to know people from the inside. It's estimated that in 2005, over $500 million dollars were spent for online dating and that number keeps rising. I guess in 20 years it will be akward for someone to go on a traditional date, everyone will be doing it online!
   So if everyone was always completely honest and there were no scammers on these sites I might even try it; Unfortunately, I think there are some. So if you do choose to try these tactics, beware. I think that you would miss out on a lot, using this kind of technology. The getting to know eachother, while actually on a date seems to be a better approach. Getting to see how this person interacts with others: Can they carry on a conversation?, Do they understand social manners?, Do they know how to match their clothes, or can they dance?I wouldnt say that this is a negative technology but for goodness sake people, get off the computer and get out there and live your life. I just think It would feel weird talking to someone for too long without actually meeting them in person. It's all basically a computerized blind date. These sites match people by race, sexual orientation, religion. love is becoming a marketplace, like it or not. So once you meet the person, are they everything you had hoped for, or are they just good at making themselves sound good?