Please read our previous post, here, for a background to this post.
==============
With the increase in the number of persons using technology devices and the Internet to interact socially and for work, less people now spend time socializing and working face-to-face.
Technology has also changed the way we date, with the Internet becoming the preferred dating environment for the technology savvy.
This has spurred a plethora of Internet dating sites ranging from ChristianSingles.com to PerfectMatch.com.
For those new to Internet dating:
Internet dating is the process of using an Internet-based dating service to find a date or a potential partner.
How an Internet dating service works is that you are asked to complete a basic profile, on the dating service's website, with information re your age, country of residence, likes and/or dislikes, values and partner preferences.
Then based on your answers, you are matched with people who share your interests and/or value systems.
The better sites (eHarmony.com, Chemistry.com and PerfectMatch.com) give you a detailed personality analysis (based on your answers to their personality questions) and then match you with persons who not only share your interests and/or value systems, but have complementary or the similar psychological make-up.
Dating in Virtual Worlds (specifically Second Life) is a bit different, as you go to certain dating destinations if you're interested in dating.
At the destination, you have the opportunity to give your potential date a good look-over...as you can immediately view his/her avatar.
Based upon the appearance of the avatar you can immediately screen out very scary people, or people who represent themselves as children (I mean, which mature adult, would want to represent him/herself as a child?)
According to article, "Dating in Second Life - 3 Things You Must Not Do", you can also test the voice of the person to ascertain if the person is male or female, although some persons do use voice generators to change the tone of their voice to sound male when they're actually female and vice versa.
If your potential date has bought something on Second Life, this is yet another screen...as you must be at least 18 years old to own a credit card.
Due to the above, I see the dating process in Virtual World's being used to augment these online dating sites, as on online dating sites, people can post false pictures and profiles of themselves, thus skewing your first impression.
(Usually these pictures and profiles are much more appealing than who these people are in real life :)).
===========
As in Real Life (RL), persons at these destinations have a plethora of dating reasons, ranging from one-night stands to lasting relationships and marriage.
I foresee a new Dating Portal in Virtual Worlds that makes the dating process easier and more user-friendly, in that you'd have separate destinations for the relationship-minded daters than for those who want one-night stands or flings.
So you can immediately screen potential dates, based on their destination of interest.
At these destinations, you can observe your potential date's interactions with others, before approaching him/her.
(Both you and your potential date would have completed personality profiles and filled in your dating preferences on the Dating Portal, beforehand...so that as you both enter the dating destination, both your profiles would appear in a pop-up box beside each of you.
The Dating Portal would have selected both of you, based on personality profiling).
========
Even if your potential date is offline, you could see his/her avatar, find out his/her favorite destinations in the Virtual World and see any special powers that he/she may have.
(This would give you a quick overview of your potential date).
You could then compare this with what you've learned from their online profile in the Dating Portal.
(The warning bells we spoke about in our previous post should go off, if your potential date misrepresents him/herself...e.g. if the person ticked male in their dating profile and you see a female avatar..that's a major misrepresentation and thus warning bells should go off).
So you'd use these quick screening mechanisms to screen your date.
If you're not interested in the person, you'd bring up their name in the Dating Portal pop-up window and delete the person from your list.
If you are interested, however, then you'd indicate your intention to date and have your first virtual date (which will serve as a precursor to your first face-to-face date).
Having both agreed to go on your first virtual date, you would then test how well you communicate...for you will need to work together to build your first virtual date environment.
So you'd both select a destination to go to on your first date.
(This would be a dating destination apart from the other initial dating destinations in the Dating Portal).
Then you'd rent a first-date destination from the Dating Portal..(the Dating Portal would bring up several, based on both your preferences for first-date locations).
You and your date would then shop in the Dating Portal or the Virtual World for the items needed on your first date. You'd also shop for items to augment your dating environment, thus personalizing it based on your likes, desires and values.
These two activities will give great insight into the person's habits, approach to money and personal taste.
If in trying to arrange this first date environment you meet upon major hurdles...this is a warning sign to end the dating process and move on to dating someone else.
If everything goes well, then you could both agree to go on your first virtual date.
On that date, you and your date don't have to sit there waiting for an icebreaker to pop in your heads, to break uncomfortable silence, the Dating Portal would have several from which you could choose.
You should also try to discuss why the person has chosen his/her particular items for the dating environment...
The key is to get a conversation going, so that you and your date can overcome date-silence awkwardness.
Since Second Life allows you to speak, using your headset, you can also ask questions and receive answers in real time.
As currently happens in some online dating services, you can converse in the safety of the Dating Portal ..then decide if you want to go on an initial face-to-face date.
At the end of the virtual date, you would both then have the opportunity to leave feedback with the Dating Portal re how the date went.
This would then be used to augment a second date (if you both so choose).
If the first virtual date goes well, then you could test the face-to-face waters...if you can't meet due to being thousands of miles apart, then you can continue dating in the Dating Portal.
However if you can meet, then please read Girl With a Purpose (GWAP) Blog's article, "Beware of Online & Electronic Predators", re how to protect yourself when first meeting with someone from an online dating service.
This first face-to-face date is the opportunity to observe your date...
Has the person represented himself by a female avatar, but is actually a man?
Is the person heavily tattooed, but tattoos turn you off?
Remember that you should allow your past relationships, dating experiences and what has occurred during your first virtual date to guide you on your first face-to-face date.
If that date goes well, then you can continue dating face-to-face, or choose to continue dating via the Dating Portal.
The Virtual World would then be your oyster to move through the process of dating to courtship and hopefully marriage (if it's the right person).
...Thus making the dating and courtship processes, easier, more effective and more efficient, than in Real Life...
=====
...Well, what do you think?...would you date someone in a Virtual World environment?
If you are in the business of creating precious memories or gift-giving... would you set up shop in a Virtual World?...
Can you wrap your mind around the fact that Virtual Worlds could be a mega market for your products and services?
Your feedback is very much welcomed. :)
(I would like to thank garybaneferraris for the use of his Youtube inset video entitled, "Love in Second Life", which details an avatar couple's romance in Second Life).
Gillian
Sources Include
Ezine article, "Dating in Second Life - 3 Things You Must Not Do", by Rosa Marlow, EzineArticles.com
Comments