Relationships: Can we find love online?

Judging from the countless married couples who first met online, the answer is a resounding yes.

Using the internet as a means through which to find love definitely has its perks. You can zero in on suitors who share the same interests as you (reading, hiking, etc) and preferences (Christian, no kids, smoker). It's easier to weed people out online, where users are normally asked to fill out profiles indicating their hobbies, information about their job, etc.

Sure, people can lie whether in person or cyberspace, but I have found it can be easier to "pre-screen" others online based on the information provided.

There are pitfalls, however, to meeting people online. If there's too long a lag between the time you meet online and the day you meet in person, you may begin to idealize the person you're talking to.

Since you have incomplete information, you begin to fill in the gaps on your own: You assume that if the person comes across as fun and interesting in writing, he or she must be the same way in person.

If you can't meet up in person right away, I urge you to at least exchange pictures from the get go. The last thing you want to do is create a picture in your head of how that person looks, only to later discover that he or she looks nothing like that.

So, can a person fall involve with someone she meets online? Absolutely! But I advise you to arrange an in-person meeting as soon as possible so as not to romanticize the other person because of incomplete information.

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