Finding love in the digital age.

To find one’s greatest love and lifelong partner is perhaps an individual’s greatest goal in life. Many people may not admit it but they usually give subtle hints about it when they talk or when they interact on social media.

What to remember when finding love in the digital age

For some individuals, crossing paths with their soul mates comes easy. It can be someone from school. I personally know someone who married her high school sweetheart. Some people also meet their greatest love at the office. In my more than a decade spent in the corporate world, I know a lot of colleagues who ended up together even if they had a rough start.

Of course, there are also people who take matters into their own hands when it comes to finding their love. Throughout the decade, people would go to great lengths in their search for their lifetime partner. Many years ago, people relied on handwritten letters sent through the post office. Although I still find this very romantic, the sheer amount of time waiting for the envelopes to arrive can be nerve-wracking. On some unfortunate occasions, letters tend to get lost along the way.

It’s a good thing that modern technology has made life a lot easier and much simpler for us. And, yes, that includes finding that someone matched for you. Modern technology has bridged time and continents.

Aside from social media, there are a lot of sites out there specially made for meeting people – from regular hook-ups to websites that cater to specific segments like older dating online.

Technology has opened the opportunity of marriage (either for the first time or a subsequent wedding) even to more mature people, thereby eliminating the stigma of senior dating.

However fun it may be to embark on an online rendezvous, do keep in mind that there are protocols and decorum even in the cyber realm.

Here are a few guidelines to make the experience even more enjoyable for you:

1. Know the person well

Even if it is an online meet-up, it pays to put extra effort into knowing the person you see on the screen. You can do a quick profile search based on the information that the individual has disclosed. While we cannot really accurately uncover and gauge someone’s personality online, it still pays to do a little research. In this age of social media, you’d be surprised by how much you can discover about someone.

2. Be honest

If you are serious about meeting the love of your life in cyberspace, it’s always good to be perfectly honest about yourself. Never set expectations that are too high. While most similar situations call for putting your best foot forward, it will not hurt to tell the other person about your shortcomings and even your insecurities.

During most occasions, being honest about yourself can endear you to another person. You do not want to offend your date when you finally meet in person. In the end, if it does not lead to a romantic relationship, then you have at least gained a new friend.

3. Do not divulge your important information

No matter how you trust the other person, never tell them about your important personal information, especially those relating to your finances.

4. Do not post compromising photographs

Never send photographs of you in a compromising pose. Those are personal shots that only belong to yourself.

5. Always be respectful

Lastly, treat the other person with respect like you would a friend or a new acquaintance. Use words that are polite or, at the very least, neutral.

In the end, no matter how you meet your partner, it’s always the beautiful story that you will write together that will matter in this life.