These days it can feel like we just don’t have enough leisure time. With the economic downturn still biting, many of us are being forced to work longer hours than we usually would through fear of losing our jobs if we say ‘no’. Working until late at night has become the norm, particularly for single people whose boss may prefer to allow the family man or woman to leave the office at the right time. Not only is this highly unfair, stress-inducing and exhausting, it is also eating away at our opportunities to meet a potential new partner.
This trend towards longer working hours over the last few years has seen a sharp rise in the number of people joining online dating website. Dating sites look from the outside to be the ideal remedy to having very little time to date; they put us in contact with loads of potential partners, we can write reply emails on public transport on the way to and from work, and we can fit our dating around our jobs, even if all we can manage one evening is a short good night message. But are dating sites all they are cracked up to be?
The answer to this question is both yes and no, depending on how you handle fledgling relationships. Many men and women spend a few days or weeks chatting on Skype, emailing and texting before meeting up which is a great ideas so that you can get an impression of the other person before investing time, money and effort into meeting them in person. However, there is also a group of people who get stuck in this ‘virtual dating’ stage and end up dedicating a lot of time to online communication, and never quite manage to meet. It’s all very well chatting online, sending edited and well thought out emails and the odd naughty text, but if that’s not actually going to lead to a meeting then what’s the point?
In reality you can only get a small impression of someone’s personality and possible compatibility via emails, Skype and texting. Until you meet up you will have no idea if your personalities click or if you have any chemistry. Don’t fall into the trap of virtual dating for more than a couple of week or you could very easily end-up disappointed or even heart-broken when you’re apparent ideal mate turns out to be nothing like you imagined.
If a meeting is not arranged and attended within two weeks of your first contact, move onto someone who is more proactive! Eventually you are sure to find someone who fits you perfectly!
