What do World of Warcraft and OkCupid both have in common besides being on the Internet? Give up? Well, it turns out that the two are both places where people have begun online relationships!
Contrary to what you might believe, finding a significant other online doesn’t always result from filling out your likes and dislikes on a profile questionnaire. You can just as easily create an elf avatar and go on missions around a medieval world and still find yourself a pretty decent date! The world of online dating doesn’t have to only consist of going on dating websites to find your perfect match; you can join any other website or online game to interact with other people and get to them for who they really are (at least on the inside).
Senior English secondary education major Stephanie Rivero’s current year-long relationship stemmed from an online game. Rivero notes, however, that online gamers aren’t thrilled when someone joins their community for the sole purpose of finding a date. “People will be put off if they know you’re looking for someone,” she says. Still, online games are meant for you to have fun and meet new people, so if it just so happens that you meet “Mr. Right” while playing, then you win! You can continue your game and hold a relationship online.
Even though the “slow and steady” approach may work for those who want to make friends online before finding “the one,” that approach is not for everyone. If you feel you would rather skip the child’s play and go directly to the dates, or if online gaming simply isn’t your thing, then a dating website may be your way to go.
One thing that senior English and early childhood education major Tamar Samuelian has learned through her experiences of online dating is to give dating websites a chance even if you aren’t looking for love. Samuelian explains that her friend talked her into joining OKCupid because it seemed to be a hot spot for college students to meet, so it peaked her interest.
“Within the first week I had some guy ask me if I wanted to hang out with him, then I had a flood of guys,” says Samuelian.?? After narrowing all of the requests to potential dates, it’s important to know what you want out of the dating website. Do not assume that everyone on the website wants to date, some people just want to be friends and others may just want a one-night-stand, so be very aware.
Samuelian is the perfect example of having experienced both the good and the bad from online dating. After messaging and dating a few guys that were less-than-charming, she’s found someone who she is still dating and sees as “potential boyfriend material.”
If you know what you want out of online dating, then it could transform into something similar to Rivero’s happy relationship with her boyfriend. Even if you’re not entirely sure what you are doing on the Internet looking for dates, you can still have a great experience like Samuelian.
Although dating online can be seen as taking a risk because you do not initially physically meet in person, isn’t dating itself a risky business? The bottom line is, whether it’s online or face-to-face, it’s not about how you met but rather what happens afterward.