Mesa Legend

Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: Features

Cody Davis and Felicia McGowan show how meeting someone from a dating site could be awkward.

Since the early 21st century, social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook have been emerging in cyberspace with more and more these days specifically designed for online dating.

These types of sites offer free access to any adult or teenager around the world. Any user can join, create a free profile, and connect to interact with any other user.

"It seems like Myspace and Facebook began a whole new generation of dating activities and trouble," said Shannon Ash, a 20-year-old student at MCC.

"It started out as 'A Place for Friends' and turned into a place for creepers, in my opinion."

"Myspace was supposed to be something you specifically talked to your friends on, but instead I would get messages and comments from people I couldn't even recognize hitting on me, and I don't like that," said Ash.

Websites designed for social networking have recently evolved into sites designed specifically for online dating where users explore profiles specifically to find a mate, and privacy is at the user's discretion.

Alessa Gillette, 24, knows from personal experience just how these dating sites work.

"As a little experiment, my mom and I set up an account on eHarmony.com, just to see what reactions would be and what kind of feedback we would get," said Gillette.

"I didn't get much attention I think because the site just didn't have people in my age group, but my mom was surprised at how many responses she got."

eHarmony.com uses a compatibility matching system that takes 29 different personality variables and determines who you are most suitable to date.

"Cyber dating is a little different than normal first dates because you feel as though you know them. You know their favorite actors, authors and foods. You know everything they have told you, but they may not have been telling the truth," said Gillette.

"The first thing you need to know is that everyone lies a little," she added.

Women tend to lie about their weight or age, while men tend to lie about their income, level of baldness and athletic condition," said Gillette. "The one thing you can count on is that everyone lies a little."

Gillette and her mother discovered that it was all about the thrill of seeking, discovering and getting to know a person so openly and quickly.

Continued...

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