Online Dating: More Universal Than Ever

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It’s hard to believe that just 3 months ago, Match.com celebrated its 15th anniversary. 15! That means there very well could be kids in high school and junior high whose parents met via online dating, an industry that even those of us in it feel is still young.

Once you take a deeper look into the online dating world, though, you’ll see that the advancements are monumental. Just like those kids in high school, the industry has matured, learned from its mistakes, and is growing into its most experimental, innovative stage.

Take DatePro’s past posts about “OppositesConnect” and “FlipMe” dating. No matter our personal opinions, it’s refreshing to see companies looking at dating from various approaches. Though mainstream sites like Match and eHarmony are still succeeding with individuals looking to the long-term, there are finally dating sites which, following the larger trend of society, are opening up to the flirting and casual dating crowd.

What was the turning point? Where did online dating go from a almost embarrassing secret to something that nearly 7 million people have used to meet other? We think it has to do with 2 aspects:

1) Becoming more open-minded

Match and eHarmony, as we said before, are massively successful companies with a great message, but we’ve noticed that more and more dating sites are realizing that its not only the “married within a year” crowd that is experiencing online dating these days. Now those looking for casual relationships can get in on the fun too, with sites like MetroDate and OBC, without having to sign up for sites that push undesired future expectations on its members. Catering to all is one of the surest signs of progress, and the online dating industry is a great example.

2) Taking ourselves less seriously

When online dating was new, we had to make big bold statements, promising big results and guaranteed matches and love at first click. Now we realize that dating sites are just virtual coffee shops and bars. We shouldn’t have to make false claims about your compatability with someone. If someone catches your eye at a bar, you don’t feel cheated if you guys don’t hit it off – you’re just two people meeting looking for a chance at fate (or just fun). The only difference in online dating is you get a bit of a head start — a glimpse at another single’s hobbies and personality, so you can avoid disasters.

These two simple items: both more related to taking a step back thank taking a step forward, are reasons that online dating is still steadily growing more and more popular. And as people realize that their nervousness about online dating is unfounded (with the correct safety precautions), we imagine the only place to go is up!