March 29, 2024

BHeharmonyBY BRANDON HOMMEL

When it comes to meeting new people, online dating has become the social norm. Rejection doesn’t feel as bad, and you can finally be the height you’ve always dreamed. A recent study by whatsyourprice.com found that a lot of Canadians are too embarrassed to admit they’ve used online dating. And it’s not women, it’s men between 18 and 24 years of age who will take that secret to the grave.

The study also found that three of every eight Canadian adults have tried online dating, and a common lie used about how people met their significant other is, “We met at a bar.”

The majority of the 18- to 24-year-old men who lie about using online dating services divulge their secret to their co-workers first, followed by friends and then finally family, when they are ready to tell the world.

Finding a dating site is the easy part, with all the commercials on TV, newspaper advertisements and pop-ups on the Internet. Finding the right one for you is the hard part. Every dating site caters to a different crowd. For example, there are the free dating sites. Anyone can join, so the results may vary.

One free popular dating site is plentyoffish.com, also known as “plenty of freaks” by past and current users of the site. Another very popular free site is match.com, averaging almost 10 million monthly users. Last but not least, zoosk.com has over seven million users a month.

If the free dating sites aren’t working for you, then you can sign up for paid online dating services. Users who pay are typically more serious about finding a partner than those who use free dating sites.

The world’s most famous paid online dating service is eHarmony.com. They guarantee that you will find love in six months, for only $47.95 a month. For that hefty price they give their users all the bells and whistles. For example, you can see the users who have viewed you, send unlimited messages to all users on the site, see when your matches have last logged in, and talk to your matches on the phone via SecureCall.

College students aren’t new to the online dating game either. With long hours of class, followed by homework and actual work, there really isn’t that much time to meet new people. That’s why a lot of college students use online dating as a way to connect outside of their bubbles, and really see who is out there.

Victoria Lichty, a second-year public relations student, has used online dating before, trying it for about two months. She had matches, but not the old couple holding hands in the commercial type of match. When asked why she thought men were more prone to lie about using online dating than women, Lichty said, “I think it is because they think it’s embarrassing, especially if they don’t have any luck.”

Brody Grubb, a second-year graphic design student, has also used online dating. He said he tried it out for a year but didn’t find it worked. Grubb also weighed in on why he thinks men typically lie more than women about using online dating.

“People think men are supposed to go and ask a girl out in person or talk to her face to face, instead of behind a screen.”

Like everything in life, there are success stories and failures. The hard part is taking the plunge and trying online dating. You never know what you may find – a great love, or a freak.

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