It’s not impossible to find love on the Internet, but it is unlikely.
The Internet is full of people who pretend to be something they are not, trying to fill a space in their lives that they can’t fill themselves.
Ever since I was little, I have been warned about the dangers online and to not talk to anybody I don’t know. I was always told stories of people who befriended a certain person on their favorite social media site who became turned into a possible love interest, only to be an overweight, perverted man.
I, for one, am very conscious of people I talk to on Facebook, especially if I don’t know them. One moment you could be in love, talking to the person of your dreams, and the next minute you’re kidnapped by that very same person you thought loved you (though that would be the worst case scenario).
The MTV show “Catfish” depicts stories of people who have romantic relationships with strangers they met online and haven’t had a chance to meet in person yet. The host of the show tracks down the so-called online love interests. In most cases, they end up not being who they say they are online—some even turn out to be a completely different sex.
Another example is the recent Manti Te’o scandal. This football player thought he was dating a woman, named Lennay Kekua, he met online three years ago. But he had never actually met her. In December, he was told that she had died of leukemia, only to find out she had never been real in the first place.
Imagine the heartbreak people like that have had to go through. They give their heart and soul to words on a computer only for their love to turn out non-existent.
Though the concept of online dating could potentially be smart, many people use it for lying. Some people can use it the right way and are honest in who they are, but odds are your potential love interests won’t be as great in real life Actions speak louder than words, and in this case, all you get are words. Things can be taken the wrong way or read in a different tone than it is meant to be. There is a difference when you talk to people in person than when you talk to them over the Internet.
Sure, you have emoticons to help you out, but it’s not the same thing.
Let’s say your admirer told you something sweet. You can “aww” or put smiley faces, but can your “aww” tell the admirer how sweet you really think it is over a big hug and a kiss?
Go out and meet people the real way and learn to talk to people face to face. instead of through cyber space.
