BBC’s Radio 4 Women’s Hour yesterday explored people’s experience of online dating and how such sites have changed the way we live and love today.
While I’m aware that online dating is a useful tool for people with busy schedules looking for love, I’m now more sceptical of the sites.
Dating sites say they want to help people to start a relationship or find true love, but some of the experiences I listened to sounded quite the opposite.
One contributor explained how she went on 125 dates across 10 countries in 12 months in her search for Mr Right with no luck. Another said he went on 52 dates in 52 weeks, while someone else had had 28 dates using 28 different websites. I never thought love could be that expensive.
Dating sites also aren’t the best at linking potential suitors, perhaps because they allow algorithms, not humans, to do the matching.
The show detailed the odd behaviour of online daters from women who "bite" on the first date to men turning up drunk or in tears on the first date.
It also found that people can lie on their dating profiles by posting old photographs, exaggerating their earnings and height or saying they are looking for love when they are married.
Luckily the programme offered some helpful tips on how to prepare for a first date and how to spot out for romance scams.
Is online dating still the way forward? Or is it best to spend your money on hobbies instead? Let us know your thoughts.
