Find love online in the modern world

Last week was the busiest time of the year for singles looking for love online.

In the first few days of the year millions of people are registering with dating sites. And today is the peak time in the search for a new romance.

Now, you could say this is a bit sad. What’s wrong with meeting people in the traditional way at a party, a club, at work or through friends?

But life has changed. We organise holidays, finances, diaries and our e-mails with friends and family online so why not our love lives?

One of my friends, who has been divorced for years, tried online dating and after a few disappointments she found a great guy and they’ve been living happily together for almost a decade.

The first dating experiments were a bit dodgy. The men weren’t quite as charming or attractive as their online profiles promised. But in life you often have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince.

Is it really any different from dating a guy you meet socially who seems nice but on a one-to-one date you find you have nothing in common?

As more marriages end in divorce, people in their 30s, 40s and 50s don’t want to settle for a life of loneliness, but it’s often difficult to get the opportunity to meet new people.

Online you can ‘chat’ and find if you have anything in common. If you’re honest and realistic you can discover if you have the same sense of humour, the same attitudes to life and if it would be worth meeting up to get to know each other better?

One of my brothers-in-law has been online dating for a few years. He’s met interesting women who share his love of sport, dancing and travelling. He’s had long and short relationships and he claims it’s a great way to meet people and no different from any conventional first date.

An attractive redhead who has been internet dating since her husband left her in her 40s told me: “I always look forward to the first meeting with someone after we’ve been chatting online for a while. The first few times I did this we met for dinner. But you can tell quite quickly if it’s going to go anywhere.

“So now I suggest the first date should be for coffee that way you don’t waste each other’s time.”

Finding your special ‘someone’ isn’t easy. Modern technology can help.

Yes, there are risks don’t reveal too much too soon, for instance but chances are you’ll ‘connect’ with someone with whom you want to have a friendship which may develop into a romantic relationship.

A new year is a time of new beginnings. If you don’t try you’ll never know.