How Did Online Dating Become So Popular

The reason is pretty simple. It is very much the same reason that the Internet itself became so popular.

The Internet opens up a whole new world of communication and contact. And the reasons for this are given below.

• Speed: Try to picture what used to happen earlier in the days when people had to depend on the good old' postal system. During those days, a person had to wait for one or two days for a letter to get across to a person who lived in the same state itself. The second person in turn would take one or two days to respond and this letter would take on or two days to get back to the first person. So in effect, a single correspondence would stretch over a week. But now it's a totally different story.

The time taken for the first letter and the response has been brought to an amazing 2 minutes! Waiting may make the heart grow fonder but e-mail makes two people get close faster!

• Privacy: The Internet provides for absolute privacy too. One can carry out communication with another person in the absolute privacy of one's bedroom or bath room or wherever one chooses to be. There is no fear of eavesdropping (ugh) or over hearing (shudder!) thanks to e-mail and chat facilities.

• Options and Opportunities: The Internet provides for other options like voice chat or video conferencing and stops short only of the physical touch. But then who would want to start a relationship by touching right away? You can see a person, talk to a person, and listen to the person's voice, can you think of a better way to start a date?

• Economy: All this and more it is possible thanks to the Internet and the best part is that all this comes to you for peanuts. All you need is a PC (who doesn't have one?) and an Internet Connection (how can anybody live without one?) and you are all set. The only thing more you could ask for is a step-by-step guide to find your dream date…well here it is! So what are we waiting for?

Be Clear About What You Want

We all know that man is a social being. However man is also a lonely being. (And when we say man, we mean women too). Man longs for company.

Company not just from friends and the family, but from that special person with whom he or she can share those sweet nothings, those simple pleasures and pains, someone with whom he or she can build a whole new life, someone with whom he or she can raise a family of his or her own.

Now this is a fundamental need of man: to find a life mate. And the most popular method used for this is dating. When we talk about dating in the very finest sense of the word, please understand that dating is not to be viewed as a precursor for sleeping together. It is much more than that. It is the first step towards choosing a life partner and online dating has made the whole process a lot simpler now.

Marriage Versus A Casual Relationship

Now what you do and what you want is entirely your business. I don't want to sound nosey but I would like to draw a fine line between the kind of dating that is involved in these two quests. Of course we are all grown up and so let us act like grown ups. Obviously in a casual relationship we are looking for fun. And mind you, fun can have a lot of connotations. So here the object of one's desire will obviously be a person who is not inclined towards a serious relationship.

If both parties are of the same view then it is well and good because they understand each other perfectly and do not expect much from such a relationship. This leaves no room for heartbreak. It is when one party is in for something more serious and the other party is into sheer frivolousness that the problems start.

So you should be absolutely clear about what you are looking for from the start, and you should make your intentions very clear to the other person. At the same time you should have no doubts about the intentions of the other person as well.

Remember, even if it is a casual relationship, there should be mutual understanding at least about the nature of the relationship. Of course, there is yet another possibility where a casual relationship can blossom into something more serious. But, again in such cases it is your instincts that can help you identify what is good and what is bad.

No matter how strong a person is, anyone can be taken for a ride or be taken for granted. Being jilted is never a nice experience. So those of you who are going in for a casual relationship, for heavens sake, be on your guard! Marriage is altogether a different story but we will deal with that later. Dating Comes From a Fundamental Need.

Let's face it, of course sex is important, but sex is by far NOT the most important reason for dating.

Important! Maybe during the age of thoughtless youth, when new hormones are being pumped in and out, sex is on every one's mind. But as one matures (mind you that does not mean growing old and gray) sex takes the back seat and mutual support, likes and dislikes, cooperation, caring and sharing come to the forefront. We start thinking about building up a world of our own and we need someone to share it with, and not just someone to sleep with.

Sex is a fundamental need of every human being. We all have it in us to give and receive physical pleasure. But when you sit and think about it for a minute, you can see that this urge is actually the result of another urge.

There is a more primary urge in every human being to breed and produce offspring, and it is this urge that gives rise to such a powerful sexual desire. But whatever be the urge, the most dignified means to satisfy it is dating.

Nobody, not one of us, is complete without a partner; and it is to satisfy this need that people date. Because of this, the rest of this manual will be dedicated not to finding the right sex partner, but to finding the right life partner.