Ah, the joys of trying to find love on the Internet. For many, it’s used when all else fails, when – as so many dating website users note – “attempting to meet people at the bar is getting old.” Besides that, these folks know that they can pick a potential match based on looks, interests, personal beliefs, and what they’re looking for in a relationship. Users can also be pretty specific about location, even letting those who check them out know where they’re willing to look for love (or whatever it is they’re searching for). Those living in big cities might specify they aren’t interested in dates involving more than one transfer on public transit, whereas those in suburbia might not mind driving an hour. Either way, location can be important once you start looking at your potential Internet dates. But, conversely, does where you live affect how much you should consider online dating in the first place? Between big city folk and suburbanites, who really needs online dating the most?

City Dwellers

From the urbanite’s perspective, dating in a bustling metropolis can be hard because so many people are career-driven. Left to one’s own devices, it can be hard to find a person who wants to settle down into a relationship. Many young professionals don’t feel they have the time or attention to give to something committed, so casual dating is about the most they can handle. For them, meeting new people at bars actually might be ideal. But if you’re one of those city singles who does want a relationship, you might need a little extra help in the form of online dating to find someone whose intentions match yours. If you are one of those busy people who only wants to casually date, online can also be great for you, as long as you pick the right site and specify exactly what you want in your profile.

Suburbanites

Once those city people searching for true love do find it – and maybe eventually tie the knot – they tend to migrate to the suburbs or to smaller cities. Therein lies the problem for singles who live in small towns or in suburban areas and are looking for serious relationships – many young people in the ‘burbs are already married or at least on track to be. So if small town singles don’t want to constantly be fixed up with friends of couples or troll the bars all the time, how are they supposed to find Mr. or Ms. Right without the help of a virtual matchmaker? Then again, singles who are looking for casual dating may run into the same problem, since the preconceived notion that everyone in the suburbs is ready to say ‘I do’ and pop out babies seems to prevail. If you are one of those suburbanites who doesn’t really want to commit, again, picking the right site for you may be just the ticket.

So who actually benefits from online dating the most? There’s no definite answer here, because it honestly depends on what you’re looking for in a relationship. But generally, if you’re a city slicker looking for lasting love or a suburbanite searching for just a few good nights, then online dating will probably be your best bet at finding the relationship (or relations) that you want.

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