On one side: excitement, excess, stimulation, mystery. On the other: safety, security, comfort, familiarity. Sex, romance, intimacy—all the things promised by finding the right match on an online dating site—drink from both. And so does the very experience of online dating. On the one hand finding a match and getting a lovely email from someone with a hot picture and an intriguing profile provides only a squirt of exitement, however much you may think you want a torrent. But on the other, well, there’s not a whole lot at risk. Sitting in your pj-s at your computer in the solitary comfort of your own home is pretty comfortable. You’re able to get a charge that is worth it because you are not really put that much on the line.
– From an article on Psychology Today about why online dating sites are designed to be play with our search for love by creating a “sweet spot” where the possibilities are endless while browsing in the comfort of our own home.
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