The future of online dating lies in the hands of the consumers in the online dating industry. I agree with professional estimate that it will soon become a billion dollar industry. (Gregg) As proven by this website, online dating is a catalyst to communication with others and it is filling a void more conventional forms of dating are leaving.

The online dating industry itself is currently undergoing a period of “professionalization.” It’s becoming a mainstream business and therefore the industry is very keen to protect its reputation (Goel). With this increase in professionalism, I believe there will be increased trust in the industry which will increase the quantity and satisfaction of users.

Online dating is also predicted to spread from the Internet to people’s mobile phones. (The Web) This industry extension will assist in creating a new network of people to add to the growing virtual sphere. The broader base of participants that enter the online dating pool, the higher rate of successful physical interactions there will be. Thus, I predict with the growing number of people that enter the virtual sphere through wireless communications, the higher the success rate will be among online daters.

Another trend in the industry that is flourishing is the building of highly specialized websites. Of the 262 new web sights created in 2004, all 262 had specific niches.(wikipedia) As the number of online users increases, it seems only natural for websites to target specific market segments. I believe as the market becomes increasingly saturated, this will be the only way for existing websites to succeed and for new websites to gain market share.

Another development is the movement of online to offline events. After users sign up on a website and find a match, they can then meet that person at an event arranged by the site. (Boyle) This development proves the thesis of my entire project. While internet dating is likely to increase because it offers a great way to meet new people, it leaves a void in that human beings desire physical interaction. Due to humans desire for physical interaction traditional methods will remain important in sustaining long term relationships.

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