Believe it or not, what we type across the web to a potential partner can enable us to take a big step towards an honest and open relationship – often much more than meeting first in person can.

• There is more time to form responses
• Lack of immediate consequences!
• Your appearance is no longer the focus

In the world of online dating, aside from a picture and a profile, what is said is the most important indicator of what we are like as a person and can actually prove a much more advantageous base on which to form a relationship.

More time to form responses

Typing on the internet (whether it be instant messaging, email or on Tom, Dick and Sally) provides a wealth of time you’d never have when dating in person. You can take your time shaping and forming replies, ensuring you have honed your response well enough to not later suffer the dreaded “Why did I say that?”

You might think possessing all the time in the world to type a reply would make conversation more monitored and less revealing of yourself, but in fact, studies show that people are more open and honest on the internet.

Lack of immediate consequences

There is a lack of consequence that accompanies this extended response time – as your partner is not right in front of you, their reaction, if awkward or negative, cannot be felt or heard. So, it is considerably easier to open up. In scientific terms it has been dubbed the ‘hyper personal’ effect, by Joe Walther of Cornell University.

A foundation of openness and honesty enables you to know a potential partner on an emotional level before even meeting on a physical level. This reverses the natural order where we observe a person before we learn about their inner selves. The ‘hyper personal’ effect can initiate a more sincere relationship and a mutual inner-attraction; when couples finally meet they are less concerned about how each other looks.

Your appearance isn’t the focus; you are

Part of the beauty of internet dating anyway is that you don’t have to worry about how you look or sound, which can again provide bundles more confidence to open up and allow someone to get to know the real you in depth.

However, if looks are something of great importance to you: beware! It is reported that online chatting often results in the two parties ‘filling the gaps’ with idyllic images that, as you can imagine, can be a let down when unfulfilled in real life.

So, to sum up...

Negatives aside, conversing with a potential partner across a dating site possesses many positive attributes and at its best can even create a more honest foundation for a relationship. So, it turns out, you’ve come to just the right place to find yourself that faithful, loving partner.

By Richard Armitage