Online Dating

This is a weighted title. Those two words hold a lot of heat. A recent trend? I'm not so sure it's still 'recent', but it is definitely still trending. It started with E-Harmony, then Match.com, and now plenty-of-fish and ok-cupid. The online dating service is expanding. 

This topic has been heavily discussed and now it's time to take it to the Bushwood Blog. I've been avoiding this topic for a while now, and I think it's finally time to face it. 

Lets weigh the pro's and con's:


PROS
-get to know someone first before going on a date
-no awkward conversation of if the person is interested in a relationship or not (otherwise, why would they be on the website)
-matched with the right personality (or so the websites claim)
-time saver
-avoid the awkward 'asking out' interaction in public

CONS
-lacks originality
-minimal effort (could be a pro?)
-no physical interaction
-lacks personal touch
-LOTS of fish in the sea (almost too many to weed out)
-lose the ability to interact in person and feel the first spark

So here's the dilemma: online dating has spread beyond its original target group of 35 year olds and up. Now, it encompasses almost every age group. You have to be 18 to join, but really? 18 year olds don't need to be on a dating website. That's just wrong. Today when I came home, my roommate told me about her friend that was going on a date with someone she met on Match.com. First of all, what 21 year old needs to pay for an online dating site. We are in our prime to go out and meet people, especially in university. Second of all, what 21 year old MALE is likely to go on an online dating site...probably not someone I'd want to date. So as a female, is the online dating pool limited? 

I just don't know which way to go on this debate. Yes, it's great for meeting people if you don't have the opportunity to. But if you do have the opportunity, get out from behind the screen and meet them on your own time at your own pace.

What are your thoughts?