Online Dating

For those who may be extra-shy for whatever reason, or simply keen to inject a bit more imagination into the proceedings, there is virtual dating. This is a growing niche and it represents a blending of two of the more prominent online group activities. 'Virtual Dating combines online dating with online gaming. Through the use of avatars, singles interact in a virtual venue that resembles a real life dating environment. For example, individuals can meet and chat in a romantic virtual cafe in Paris or on a Caribbean resort.' (For those who are wondering, an avatar has come to mean a person's online representation of themselves. This is a slight departure from the original meaning of 'a bodily manifestation of the divine.').

Virtual dating really does offer people the chance to stimulate their minds through social contact in a romantic or exotic location. All that is needed is the same ability to suspend disbelief normally required for reading an average book or going to the cinema. Imagine the delight that a house-bound individual can experience in pursuing this type of socialising.

At least one reputable science magazine has remarked that virtual dating is the latest in the evolution of online dating. Research indicates that 'people who had had a chance to interact with each other (by computer only) on a virtual tour of a museum subsequently had more successful face-to-face meetings than people who had viewed only profiles.' Online dating in this sense can be seen to facilitate the blossoming of new relationships.