Photo credit: John Evans
According to the 2009 Best Cities For Singles list published by Forbes, Atlanta is the 6th best city in the country for singles. And in all the years that Forbes has been publishing the list, only once did Atlanta place out of the top 10. They attribute this to low cost of living, a great nightlife, abundant cultural opportunities...and even online dating.
If Atlanta is the 6th best city in the country for singles, why online dating?
According to Forbes, Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., from Perfectmatch.com said, " People are telling us that when things are tough, core needs are most important. And love--someone to share your life with--is a core need." The economy is bad, so people online date. Does the economy really affect meeting people? If the economy was better, would you meet people with more ease? Or is it just that people are depressed and want a distraction? Or is it something else?
You aren’t a couch potato. You don’t spend all your time at home. You go out and do things magazines and articles claim you should do if you are single and looking.
You go to a concert at The Tabernacle…and sit in the balcony and watch the show. You go to Hole in the Wall and dance with a couple cuties…and go home afterwards. You go see the Monet exhibit at the High…and look at the art. You go see a play at the Alliance…and watch the play. You go to Turner Field…and watch a Braves game.
But sometimes, a concert is for the music, an art exhibit is for the art, and a sports game is for the game. You’re enjoying the event you paid for, not scoping out every available potential singleton nearby. If you are trying to scope the scene, although you may have put on your nicest khakis or cutest heels, you still don’t find anyone.
Some of us aren’t natural flirts. We don’t have the confidence, skill, or courage to go up to a stranger and start whatever those people who have confidence, skill, or courage start. We’re shy; we’re unsure; we’re nervous; we’re scared; we’re completely clueless.
You can keep hoping that someone will suddenly come up and start the conversation for you. You can keep trying to meet people the same, unsuccessful ways you’ve tried for years. Or, you can take advantage of the 21st century and the technological advancements in dating.
You can join the rest of us and start online dating. Instead of hoping to catch an eye at a bar, you can sit at home and browse profiles, hopefully finding a few people with similar interests. You can message them, and if they don’t respond, it’s different than being shot down in person. You can just shrug and move on to the next profile.
Whether you’ve done the singles scene and been unsuccessful, or you’re just unlucky and can’t find anyone, try something a little more updated. You never know – it may actually work.
Comments
IMO, the best online dating site is PassionSearch.com. So many cute, eligible guys!
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