I have a couple friends who have recently begun dipping their toes into the online dating pool. Online dating has become a legitimate way to meet significant others, and my friends seem to enter into the sign up process with the same excitment that I feel when securing a new catch. They glow when they get winked at and talk excitedly about noticing a new fish, much the same as noticing someone new in "real" life. However, it is not the same. From what I can tell, it seems that online dating comes with a heavier emotional burden than "regular" dating. And this perceived burden has caused me to run in the opposite direction from the online dating world.
When I meet someone face-to-face, I make small talk, laugh lightly, giggle at his jokes, allow him to buy me a drink, and eventually exchange numbers. On the first date, I may, or may not, begin diving into the deeper stuff; it's slow, and I don't have to disclose too much information until I feel confident and comfortable with the other person.
Online dating really scares me because, prior to the first date, there is already communication through the website, texts, emails, and phone calls. Users' profiles themselves contain much information and photos, so to me, it seems like there is opportunity for rejection before even seeing each other face to face.
And there we go--I have labeled my fear of online dating--REJECTION. What if I put all this information and pictures of myself on the website and no one even winks at me? How would it feel to have others see me, read about me and then not want me?
And what if they do like what they see in the online catalog? What if they do put me in their cart and ask to see me soon? It could work out, but, if it doesn't, what happens when there is already a sense of attachment because of the mulitple communication trys prior to date one?
For the sake of my heart, and all the boys who may want to wink at me online, I'll try to stay out of the online dating pool and keep my feet on the swampy land that is "regular dating".
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