Is Online Dating Feasible and Why Would Anyone Pay for It?
Online dating is, admittedly, a pretty controversial topic. However, it is undeniable that more and more people are beginning to embrace it as a tool to find that special someone. Due to this interest in online dating, numerous online dating sites are now scattered across the web.
Dozens of these sites offer their matchmaking services for free, whereas others charge for their services though a wide variety of schemes. However, before you think of jumping onto the “free services” bandwagon, I suggest giving some serious thought on actually paying for a dating site. Here’s why.
Forking out cash for dating sites may appear to be a waste of money given the fact that there is already an endless supply of free sites out there which seem to provide you with the same services. However, many people do not realize is that this is merely a façade, and if you’ve invested any amount of time into a free dating website, you’ll undoubtedly see my point.
Now think about it. The “free” site, at the very least, needs to pay for its server and administration costs. If they don’t get anything out of you, they will undoubtedly need to get it through other means. This means that you’ll likely be flooded with flashing banners and other advertisements that the site’s owners are using to make money and cover costs. A paid site is, on the other hand, is obviously “cleaner” and less distracting.
Free sites are also practically infamous for attracting fraudsters. Having no entry barrier whatsoever in terms of a payable fee is obviously a double edged sword. They are so easy to join that anyone can sign up, create a fake profile and then exploit the dating site to extract private information on others. The evidence is pretty much all around us. So many stories of victims who were misled and scammed circulate about the internet every day, not to mention articles appearing with alarming frequency on newspapers.
With a dating site which requires you to pay, everyone, including yourself, will have to pass through several “safety checks” in order to gain access to other people’s profiles. Think about it, it not only minimizes the chances that the other person is trying to scam you, but it also reflects your seriousness in finding potential dates that share your same hobbies or objectives. Would you rather pay to get likewise serious people looking for that special someone, or try your hand at getting scammed?
In making the decision to use a invest money in your attempts to find a viable date, you are, unconsciously, showing that you are serious about meeting someone and eventually trying the knot. Being cautious works both ways on free dating sites and others are likely to be as wary of fraudsters as you are. Even if you are enthusiastic about starting a relationship with them, they may be as willing.
Hence, it is undeniably better to at least have a few barriers in place, so that the people who do have their profiles displayed on paid sites are obviously as serious as you are in their search. These filters, like questionnaires, pictures, etc., ensure that the participants are there for the right reasons. Most undesirable people tend abstain from these paid sites as they either don’t want to pay or don’t want waste time on buffing up their profile.
If you’re serious about finding that special someone, you will undoubtedly find greater success in your search through a dating site that requires you to pay. However, always to note that no matter what, exercise a healthy dose of caution when dating others online.
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