In the electronic world of computers, we now have literally thousands of dating sites all claiming that through their services you will eventually meet your potential new lover and/or life partner. The point of this article is to discuss the validity of internet dating and introductions.

The above factor allows both men and women the opportunity to get to know a potential lover without the associated costs of dating. No more buying new clothes and paying for meals and drinks at an expensive restaurant. Who needs to a pay cover charge at a Night Club when you're simply chatting on the Internet?

You can become a member of a paid online dating service, or join social networks that allow you to meet people who are also seeking love. Yet how can you really tell if the person that you're communicating with has genuine and honest intentions? To add to this issue, how can one possibly claim to be in love with an electronic image? You could well be talking to a ninety year old male or female who is looking for one last physical fling.

Lonely heart individuals may find themselves falling in love with nothing but static images and romantically expressed typed words. This may well fill a gap in your emotional life, but how can one claim to be falling in love with only words and images?

Unless you've got access to a live web cam, you just don't truly know who you're communicating with. And in the personal quest for lasting love, it can be so easy to taken in by those of little moral fibre. So many people have fallen for someone who is only there to scam for money. And in such cases, the immoral other is usually not the gender or person they are claiming to be.

It is often the case that those from less developed countries will go to all lengths to escape from their social reality. A young woman from less developed nation for example, will seek a comparatively richer male from a more developed country and claim total devotion. Not all expressions of love are false. Yet that there are those who simply want a new passport and citizenship papers. And once attained, the relationship will be over.

In relation to the above point about getting emotionally attached to a person from a non-European background, you will discover sooner or later some noticeable cultural differences. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Yet differing cultural beliefs and habits may be a source of potential conflict. It would be a great idea to learn each other's native dialect. That may well help to minimise misunderstandings.

For instance, a Gentleman of European descent may verbally express a degree of personal dissatisfaction. His partner though may well take that expression of frustration as a personal attack or critique. If you can both speak the same language however, you might just lessen the tensions.

Remember the good old days that saw lovers waiting with breathless anticipation for yet another postal delivery? Sadly this is a fading reality. Now we are consumed by electronic devices that allow access to innumerable amounts of information, and people from all over the world. Whilst this possibly enhances one's knowledge base and social network, we are losing that human touch element that is an inherent part of social interaction.

If you do meet a potential lover via the internet, try to get to meet them in real life. That's the only way you'll truly get to know them and see if a real relationship based on mutual acceptance and understanding will develop.

©Geoff Dodson. 28/04/2012