Skip to content
Search
Search
 

How Online Dating Works

Learn how to ditch the singles bar and avoid blind dates

by Nancy Muir, Computers for Seniors for Dummies, Copyright 2010

Many older Americans are making connections with others via online dating services, and if you’ve been wondering if this route could be for you, here’s how you can jump into the world of online dating:

  • Choose a reputable dating site. (See the section, “Select a Dating Service,” later in this article.)
  • Sign up and provide information about your likes, dislikes, preferences and so on. This often takes the form of a self-guided interview process.
  • Create and modify your profile to both avoid exposing too much personal information and ensure that you’re sending the right message about yourself to prospective dates.
  • Use search features on the site to find people who interest you and send them messages or invitations to view your profile.

 

20_11.jpg

Websites such as DatingForSeniors.com help you search and identify the type of people you would like to meet.

laptops on bed

David Burnett/Contact Press Images

  • You’ll get messages from other members of the site, to which you can respond (or not). Use the site’s chat and e-mail features to interact with potential dates. You may also be able to read comments about the person from others who’ve dated him or her, if the site has that feature.
  • When you’re comfortable with the person and feel there might be a spark, decide if you want to meet the person offline.

 

Tip

Formal dating sites aren't the only places that people meet online, but they typically have the best safeguards in place.

If you want to interact with people you meet on other sites, you should provide your own safeguards.

Create a separate e-mail account (so you can remain anonymous and abandon the e-mail address if needed). Many dating sites screen participants and provide strong reporting measures that are missing on other types of sites, so be particularly careful.

Take your time getting to know someone first before connecting.

Select a Dating Service

Select your online dating service carefully.

  • Look for an established, popular site with plenty of members and a philosophy that matches your own.
  • Review the site’s policy regarding your privacy and its procedures for screening members. Make sure you’re comfortable with them.
  • Use a service that provides an e-mail system that you use for contacting other members only (sometimes called private messaging). By using the site’s e-mail rather than your own e-mail address, you can maintain your privacy.
  • Some sites, such as SaferDates.com, offer stronger levels of authenticating members.

 

20_12.jpg

Safer Dates uses fingerprint identification and screening to make you more confident that you know who you're interacting with.

Visit a site such as Consumer-Rankings.com/dating for comparisons of sites. Whether you choose a senior-specific dating site such as DatingForSeniors.com or a general population site such as PerfectMatch.com, reading reviews about them ahead of time will help you make the best choice.

Bonus Tip

If you try a site and experience an unpleasant incident involving another member, report it and make sure the service follows through to enforce its policies. If it doesn’t, find another service.