Well, if love can make its way into, and dominate the, love lives of academic researchers, how much more so can it pervade the dating and romantic lives of the less logical public. In fact, when the Internet was first released for public consumption in the early 1990’s, it didn’t take long for the public to use this revolution in communications technology to find and communicate with members of the opposite sex.

Internet Relay Chat took off very quickly and a multitude of IM (Instant Messaging) platforms soon followed thereafter. And, all these technologies brought about a revolution in finding one’s soul mate online.

Many people ask, though, what is the benefit of this online dating thing? Why does everyone go on about it? Well, there a number of benefits to online dating.

The first benefit of trying to find a date online is that you have so many people online that you are bound to find a person that is compatible with you. We, as human beings, tend to split into about 7 different types of people. Maybe everyone else in your town is of type 1 or 2 and you’re a type 3. Online, there may be 100 million type 3’s out there, all waiting for you. And, if they are online and looking for a date, you can make the assumption that they are single and ready to meet you.

With so many people online, you can engage multiple prospects at once, as well. You might never be dating 3 or 4 prospects at a time in the real world but, online, you can. This gives you honest choices about the relationships you wish to pursue.

Another one of the great benefits of online dating is that you have the ability to meet with people without exposing yourself. If you are shy or awkward in social or dating situations, this is a way to just talk to a potential mate without revealing your social shortcomings, if you have any. The person can get to see the real you.

Have you ever dated and felt that things were going to fast? Or, maybe felt that you had to go fast to keep up with a fast date? One great benefit of online dating is that you can go as fast, or slow, as you want. That is an important factor in finding a partner that is truly compatible with your personality.

The Internet is up all day and night and never sleeps. In fact, there are a lot of people online that never sleep, either. You have the luxury of searching for a soul mate anytime, day or night. You could never do this in the offline world.

The Internet can allow you to secure your privacy in a much great way than offline communication technologies. With phone calls, the person can get your number and then your address. Online, only sophisticated hackers can get past the security you set up. And, if you are conscientious, you will learn about the easy methods that one can use to ensure their identities are only revealed when they want to reveal them.

Internet dating is a powerful force to help the socially challenged find a soul mate. If you don’t have a lot of confidence, are very shy or just healthily paranoid about your privacy, the Internet may be an excellent way to meet someone who is just like the lover you have always dreamed about.