The anonymity of the Internet also makes for deeper connections than are typically found in singles bars or at crowded parties. In cyberspace, you can reveal information about yourself as slowly as you want, only when you feel safe enough to do so. "Online, you get to know someone through their thoughts, their values, and the way they express themselves," says McDermott. Physical attraction, of course, is eventually critical, but it is not the top priority, as it so often is offline.
So what's the catch? Dating always involves a certain level of risk (of embarrassment, of rejection) and the Internet poses its own unique dangers. The anonymity that makes online dating sound like a can't-lose proposition when you're "just looking" can seem less desirable when it's time to make that all-important "in real life" connection. How do you know that your correspondent is who she says she is (SWF, 29, animal lover) and not an axe murderer with a gift for dashing off charming and witty mash notes? "Move carefully and cautiously and use your gut instinct, and you're likely to have a positive experience," says McDermott.
