When many of use think about dating services, the MAD TV sketch "Lowered Expectations" often comes to mind. The stereotype is the homely, middle-aged woman with 12 cats who is hooking up with the balding, pot-bellied man who has recently remodeled his living room to look like the inside of a bowling alley.
Why have they gone through the dating service? Because let's face it, they are probably not going to find anybody else, right? Thanks to a number of social factors, however, that is all changing.
With society becoming more fragmented through such things as working from home, and technological advances that make staying at home more appealing than it once was, dating services are being utilized by more and more people looking to make a love connection. There are some advantages to this avenue, as well.
For one, participants are matched based on a set of shared characteristics, including interests, age and appearance preference, socioeconomic levels and many other factors. Users of dating services are sometimes given background checks for such things as criminal histories. The main appeal of such services is that you almost always know what you're going to get, something that cannot be said about slapping on some cologne or perfume and going out to a local club.
In an age where a lot of us don't seem to even know our neighbors, dating services can be a useful tool for many people, and more and more of them are popping up. One only has to watch their favorite television show to see commercials for such services as Eharmony or Match.com.
A difficulty confronting many Americans is longer working hours and the lack of an opportunity to socialize. With workplace romances discouraged by most employers, where are we supposed to meet and fall in love?
Dating services have filled an important niche in society, and the stigma that was once attached to their use has all but evaporated. On a weekly basis, I hear co-workers talk about people they have met through such services because they were just tired of the dating scene. Two of my very close friends met through a dating service, fell in love, and have been together for the last 12 years.
As the saying goes, all's fair in love and war, and with an ever-evolving world, dating services have become fair when it comes to love. As people continue to prioritize, putting personal happiness ahead of what others may think, and realizing that loneliness can likely be cured with a few clicks of a computer mouse or a quick phone call, dating services will only become more prolific in the coming years.