Megan's Story—Online Dating

Online Dating: Curse or Cure?
By Megan Peterson

Is there an airport nearby or is that my heart taking off?

We’ve heard them all. From ridiculous pick-ups to charming one-liners, these phrases can sum up the world of online dating.

According to Online Dating Magazine, more than 20 million people visit at least one online dating site each month and more than 120,000 marriages occur each year from this phenomenon that seems to be taking over the dating world.

Why has this tremendous flood of online dating become so popular among people, both young and old?

Hyde Park resident Kierra Whittaker says, “My grandma was divorced and just, sort of happy. We all thought she was crazy when she signed up for an online dating service.”

From ages18 to 100, “net” dating has become all the rage for divorcees, college students, single parents, and those looking for a different way to go about dating.

Whittaker’s grandmother, who was working as a teacher at a local high school met and fell in love with her new husband on the internet.

“They talked a lot and had a lot in common. One day she came over and announced that she was moving to Sweden and getting married to Christoffer. It kinda threw us through a loop.”

Although online dating may work for some, not everyone has had the success that others do.

Angela Fallentine, a resident of Sandy has had her fair share of online dating disasters.

“The most amusing date I went on with someone that I had met online was at a movie theater.”

It wasn’t him or the movie that was amusing. It was the family he brought along that was.

“They brought used popcorn containers so they could get free re-fills, and the four-year-old started crying in the middle of the show.”

Fallentine, now married to someone she did not meet online, says that the only reason she ever did “those dot-com things” was because she had had friends and roommates who swore by them with their lives.

“I had two of my really good friends meet their future husbands online, and they were perfectly happy. So I thought, why not?”

Erin Goeblehardt, an online dating veteran said that she would recommend online dating only as long as one is careful.

“There are so many creeps out there today that a girl can’t be too careful. You think you’re talking to this guy who’s sweet and sensitive, and then you meet him and realize he’s nothing like he said.”

Goeblehardt’s experiences with online dating have helped her realize that it’s not the way she wanted to find her match.

“I’ve given up on online dating, mostly for the reason that I just want to really know who I’m getting into a relationship with. It’s not worth wasting my time if they turn out to be someone completely opposite then what they tell you.”

Mark Shields, a Logan resident, sees online dating as an invasion into people’s lives from technology that shouldn’t be bothered.

“Finding someone that you want to spend the rest of your life with isn’t something that can be toyed with idly. Putting your trust in a computer or so-called matchmaker just isn’t cool.”

Whether you believe the world of online dating is the way you’ll find your one true love, or you think it’s a scam, just remember to choose your lines wisely.

What do you think? Hit "Comment" link below.