Internet Dating Predictions for 2006
Recently Yahoo! Personals asked me to make a prediction about Online dating trends in the near future. They are online now— at what lots of dating experts are saying. Here’s what I wrote:
I think we are going to see a real trend towards it becoming standard that online daters officially establish their identity on the Internet while also keeping anonymity. We are already seeing sites pop up that appeal to the fears of singles (like true.com which does criminal background checks and prohibits married people from signing up) and truedater.com, where people can go and report in, positively or negatively, about the accuracy of a date’s online presentation. Sites are also appearing that help you verify your own identity for others as well as check out a potential date, like trufina.com, safedate.com, and verifiedperson.com. Soon it will become as odd to see a profile without a verified identity as it now is to see a profile without a photo.
It seems very 21st Century to me that we all should have an awareness of our online presence. It also feels a bit like the old-fashioned small town, where everyone knows everything about everybody. Of course, that’s part of the allure of big cities, the anonymity. Similarly, big online dating sites. Clausterphobic as small town life can be (Lord knows, I’ve been both repelled and attracted), everyone knowing everything has a real social value. There’s much more pressure to behave yourself when you have to face the same people day after day.
I just Googled my name and got 911 hits, at leas half of which are really about me. Thank goodness, the citations are in general good ones. The one I particularly love (that isn’t me) is on a site called pathetic.org. Wouldn’t you know it?
Go ahead and Google yourself and see what comes up. You ought to know, because others are going to Google you, especially dates, so if you’ve got a pathetic.org in your Google resume, be prepared to explain!
From Your Romance Coach, Kathryn Lord
