Offline Dating vs Online Dating
- Dr. Tarra Bates-Duford
- May 20, 2016
- 5 min read
Offline dating vs Online dating has been a topic of debate for the past several years as many question which option is better, safer, and more accurate. It should come as no surprise there are millions of loyal supporters for each dating option. While most might never agree on the best course for dating, neither can deny the benefits and advantages for each. Prior to the invention and accessibility of online dating who can ever forget being a part of a matchmaking project by a friend, or a mother who thinks you should meet the “nice young man” that she knows or hears so much about. Granted these options seldom produced successful results, but most of the time you walked away with hilarious stories to tell for generations to come. However, as work and careers increasingly dominate the lives of singles, meeting and dating has become increasingly difficult, allowing online dating to become a more viable option.
Online dating for many career dominated singles is often viewed as a “godsend”, allowing one to communicate with someone they have never physically met or didn’t have the courage to approach offline. After all there is a dating site for everyone, i.e., single adults, couples, seniors, single parents, hookups, those seeking long-term or interesting in marriage, friendships, interracial, military, wealthy and affluent dating, etc., the list goes on. As online dating options advance and enhance the choices for engagement and meeting increases. No matter your dating preference, both approaches to dating requires commitment, keeping an open mind, and a desire to exchange some personal information. Once you have committed yourself to the process of meeting and dating online you must then commit yourself to establishing and sustaining a relationship in an effort to make it work.
In essence singles interested in dating and relationships should use a healthy mixture of both dating approaches. As the summer approaches the desire to meet that someone seems to kick us into overdrive, leaving many singles on a hunt for the perfect summer romance (of course there will be many searching for long-term as well). So, to those interested in and open to online dating our friends at Reviews.com have graciously sent us their list of the best online dating sites;
1. OkCupid – OkCupid provides many dating options, from casual hookups, long-term & marriage interested, same-sex, and polyamory. OkCupid utilizes an algorithm to match potential daters, and it is both browser and mobile friendly (which cannot be said for many other online dating sites). According to Reviews.com, OkCupid has 2 great features that set them apart from the competition: It produces the best profiles, and it uses the best matching algorithm. OkCupid sports a clean layout on both desktop and mobile (left) and it's playful enough (right) to make for a fun overall experience . The matching system used by the site includes a match percentage which allows users to determine what percentile match they are most comfortable with, when choosing to reach out to or respond to another user on the site. Another great key point to this site includes the user’s ability to describe themselves, what they are looking for, likes/dislikes in their own words.
2. Match.com - Match.com was the first “real” dating website, and it’s still among the best. According to Reviews.com, Match.com has a reputation for being one of the better sites for those searching for long-term relationships than the more hookup-friendly OkCupid, which science supports . According to one study, Match.com and eHarmony produce the highest number of marriages than any other dating sites or apps. Match.com allows the user to create and build a profile for free, however in order to reach out to other users and access any received messages you must become a paid user. Fortunately, the site has many affordable payment options that includes: $31/month for 3 months, $27/month for 6 months, $25/month for 12 months. Match.com design is not as clean as OkCupid, it is more cluttered and harder to take in information at a glance, as it includes redundant options such as winks, likes, and faves. Just like with OkCupid, Match.com is easy to use from laptop or phone.
3. eHarmony- Unlike the previously mentioned dating sites, eHarmony has a reputation for being old-fashioned and marriage-oriented, to which it prides itself in maintaining this approach to dating. eHarmony and Match.com are actually neck and neck for the most marriages, with eHarmony eking out the top spot by 0.7 percentage point. eHarmony is also the most expensive of the sites tested by Reviews.com. User plans start at $40 a month for a basic plan, and users have to pay for three months minimum upfront, which totals $120 before you have any idea whether you like its services or not. But hold those antsy fingers from scrolling down, you can look at the money as an investment in your relationship future. Singles truly interested in and committed to finding that special someone will spend the money and invest the time into filling out the site’s extensive profile and personality questionnaires. Singles attempting to use the site for same-sex dating and relationships will be redirected to eHarmony’s sister site, Compatible Partners. The site isn’t as easy to use as OkCupid or Match.com, both on the website or using your phone.
4. Plenty of Fish- Is a free dating site that offers both multiple dating options and the option to send and receive messages without cost. However, there are a few hiccups with this site, Plenty of Fish is difficult to use, not too pretty to look at, and a little overwhelming. According to our friends at Reviews.com, the site was overwhelming. Testers received way more activity than on any other site, a total of 1,461 views and 114 messages. I know what you are thinking This is good, this is really good, but hold your horses most of the interactions were of extremely low quality. Only 5 of those 114 messages were good. Twenty-six were mediocre, and 83 were bad . It was also difficult to determine if the messages were written by a real person or a spambot. Singles you also have to remember to change the default settings or you will receive notifications for all interactions, i.e., likes, messages, etc.
5. Tinder- Tinder, the swiping app supreme, first exploded on the scene in 2012 and has only increased in popularity and usage. Its core functionality (you can only message with someone when both parties “swipe right” ) has become a hit among adults, especially young adults. Both OkCupid and Match.com have since created similar functionality in their apps.
Offline Online
Meeting are more personable Easier access to singles
You probably have friends in common Larger geographic dating
You get to know the person sooner Dating apps available 24/7
You are limited to an area Matching tools available
Limited access to a larger dating pool Expanded dating pool
More some people it has a more natural feel Meet & date multiple suitors
No matter your dating approach whether it be online or offline if one desires casual encounters, dating, or a long-term relationship, he or she must commit both time and energy to heighten their chances of obtaining the relationship they seek. Living in a fast paced world, with its increasing technologies and escalating work demands makes it difficult to meet like-minded others physically, but technology has allowed interested singles to search, date, and establish relationships online. Regardless of your dating approach, if you are looking for casual dating or a long-term relationship you need to get out there! Summer is fast approaching you have already shed that “winter body”, now it’s time to hunt!
Honorable mentions
Our Time -Best dating site for seniors
Christian Mingle and JDate- Best for Religious Affiliation
For in-depth, unbiased reviews for finding the best online dating site visit:
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