So I'm curious, Online dating? Do you agree with it? Do you think it can work? 

I've seen, and knew many people who would online date, young teens, early adults. I've heard stories, I've heard many were not successful but some were. My question is though, is it really worth going through all the trouble for someone you never really actually met except through texting/skype/camming? Someone over the internet, who may live across the ocean, or few states away. 

What are your stories, do you know anyone who has ever online dated? Have you ever dated online? was It successful, or did it just not work out? 

Preferably 16+

I was always a little 'meh' on the whole subject.

I know of people that are now happy to have met each other through online dating, and I've seen people that are discouraged because it didn't work out.
It has the potential to work out, or the potential to fail and sometimes even get you in trouble.

I once thought of doing it, but I decided against it because I thought I was to young at that point.
A decision I am now happy I took.

I'm not saying I'll never try it, but I currently don't have the need.

The internet is just another place to meet people and I consider it more pure because it allows the free exchange of ideas.  However, it does not teach people how to interact with each other physically.  It does not give people the ability to read other's non-verbal communication, their body language, their posture, and you can't see what a person is like in real life when you don't see them every day.  People church it up and prep to go online.  It's a lot different vs. seeing someone who came home from their shift at the restaurant and they smell like hot garbage and olive oil.  That's the real person.

The online person may be completely fake.  You can never tell and you won't know who they really are until you see them in real life.

Online is a good vetting program.  It's bad to pursue something online for an extended time because your perceived reality may not be the truth.

warmaker :
That's what I believed as well, However with how the internet is getting, webcam, or making fan photo's is a way to show whether you are fake or not. But it still doesn't really teach you much. It doesn't give you that confidence you need in the real world. Because online, whether you get rejected or not, It's online.. It doesn't phase you, doesn't teach you.  

I won't go to into detail, but I represent a portion of the population who has successfully dated online and find it enjoyable.

Most of my best relationships STARTED online.

Online relationships where you don't meet the other person are hardly relationships at all. Sure you get the emotional connection but little else.

But online relationships where you get to build the trust and the emotional connection before you meet the other person are pretty awesome. Because once you do meet them, you feel as if you know them roughly and can get to know them easier.

Online dating is great for people like me, who are shy at first, and have trouble making friends or establishing relationships in person.

Hmm.....I didn't really like it that much in a way. Online dating I see can be used for people, who can be desperate for a relationship. While at times its ok and its not ok to do. As warmaker said it doesn't really teach you physical wise. And you also have to watch out as some people, may not appear who they seem to be, when you want to meet them in real life. And its mostly girls that I feel for this, as that can happen to them more. I wouldn't go there for reasons, so I just don't bother with it at all. '-'

Well, it worked for a few of my friends. I have never had any personal experience with it, but it definitely seems to help if you are on the shy side, as Leggy said. I will probably call it a hit or miss, but it appears as if it is at least worth a shot, eh? 

My fiancé and I met online. He lives in England and I live in the United States. I won't lie to you: It's been hard. It's so difficult not being able to put your arms around the other person when they need it and hold them and protect them until they feel safe again. I wish I could see him. We're planning on finally meeting up next year.

All of my relationships have been online. I'm not very good at "picking people up" in real life. Naturally, none of them ended up working up until now. My first was a girl who turned out to be a lying cheating stalker b**** (and in fairness I was the one she was cheating with) who made my life and her own a living Hell for the two weeks we were in the relationship. The second through fourth were all flings, the last of which I misread as being a romantic relationship until he introduced me to his boyfriend.

It sucks when it doesn't work. It really does, but it's no different from when it doesn't work in real life. When it works, though, it really works. My boyfriend and I have been together for the past three years.

Something that people always bring up is the possibility of being scammed, which is... fair. I mean, there was one guy who famously wired $200,000 to his English girlfriend until he found out she was two male scam artists. The best way to tell is that we've been together for years and neither of us have any reason to ask the other for money. You can't scam someone if you've demonstrated to them that you don't need the money.

The key to a long-distance relationship is the same as the key to a real-life relationship: Communication. Talk. Talk about everything. Tell your lover everything. If something bothers you, speak up. If you want to get something off your chest, speak up. If you want a three-way... ask for one instead of cheating with someone who'll give you one. It really is that simple, and I guarantee you that if the relationship is going to work at all you'll be able to communicate about this stuff.

As a person who is about to turn 23 speaking to a younger counterpart, I have this to say: Be smart. It's easy to become passionate at your age, and when puppy love doesn't work it hurts. Like I said, communicate. That's the best advice that I can give you, and if my experience serves me well it should work for relationships in cyberspace and in meatspace. Good luck with your love life.

I think that online dating is ok, and yes, it really can work. When someone really wants some love in their life, then it is fine. They help you find people who you can be with, who is a match. It is fine to be someone who does online dating. It has been show that on these dating websites such as match.com it actually works, or as they say. I know about 10 people who found matches (18-20 years old) on different online dating websites, so that makes me believe that it actually works.

I think it's ok and that it works. However, it does not work for me if the person is not within a driving distance for me. I just can't do long distance relationships. They never work out for me.

Well technically I'm not 16 but I'm going to give my thoughts on it anyways.

I'm not really against it as I do believe it can work for some people I mean myself I spend almost all my free time using a computer or playing video games so I'd probably have a much bigger chance getting any girl friend at all online then I would have in reality.  Don't know if it would work for me or not I'm saying for the most part no unless it's a really special person I've already known for a long time and built up a lot of trust for. I guess maybe just maybe it could work then. But I wouldn't really know as I have yet to actually have a serious online relationship.

I've done online dating, quite a few times, and I've always found that it doesn't work for me - bar one relationship which was just online, never affected real life. While I don't like online relationships, I know many people who've made them work, dating each other for several years, seeing each other at various points in the year, and eventually moving in with each other and living happily together.

The only time I fully discourage online relationships is when it either stretches legal countries (16 is the age of consent in the UK, for example); Both people are a huge distance apart, many even oceans away, and are still in education and/or haven't got the means to see their partner for a long time (several years). I've seen many "kids" (teens) get into relationships, usually cross-continent/country (if American) and whine/moan about not being able to see their partner, amongst other things. I usually tell them to keep their chin up and keep communications going, focus on education first, and then, when it's possible, plan to see them when you're both at an age where it's not just 2x 14-16 year olds (or something like that).

I sound rather arrogant about this but I've seen many people get depressed because of distance, especially at a young age. I don't know, I'm probably an old head on a young body when it comes to this things.

I have online dated before. It usually doesn't work out for me. I don't like the long distance relationship concept. It never works out for me.

I've dated quite a few people online. Often times I found myself in over my head. And other times I thought it would work out and it didn't. After a while I gave up completely on online dating. I didn't and don't plan on doing it again. I've been catfished before by people I've dated in the past, which led me to think that the only way i'll ever date someone online again is if we actually video chat and I actually get to see what the other person looks like.

I've met a bunch of people through online dating actually. But for me it hasn't led into any serious relationships and after a while I guess it starts to get a bit frustrating. I have friends who have found their so called so's through online dating but I think that it's just not meant for me. I guess the real problem with online dating for me is that you start to have wrong assumptions of a certain person if you stay online for too long, and then on that first meeting you realise that it's all been in your head and that the person is entirely different from what you thought. I think that it could go both ways, with pleasant surprises and all, but for me it's always ended up in disappointments. So for now I won't think of setting up a profile on a dating site any soon.

Well not every dating scenario is similar, if the two people are being truthful and sincere about everything then I say go for it, you might feel a depressing distance between you guys but that's how dating online goes.

I've dated online a few times and they all, except for the most recent one, and everything was cool and happy but I usually got too negative or doubting about everything, or what the other said and then the other would say screw you, you only make me negative and I didn't used to be like this. We're done, I'm sick of you. :@

I was resistant to doing it again because that's how they all went, but now it's good

I strongly don't like the idea of online dating, specifically how online dating sites do it these days. It is such a place of desperation like you need to find a boyfriend or girlfriend and what better place to find one than to go to a site where other people are probably desperate in wanting the same thing. It's not very healthy in that it makes a relationship necessary and you are intentionally communicating with someone for the sake of wanting to be in a relationship. This might be just be what I am like, but I am a type of person who wants to already form a friendship with the person, and if there is a person that is in my life that I feel that I would want to be with for the rest of my life as my partner and lover, I would go for it with the fact that I still have a solid friendship intact and that that we understand each other as close friends. It also won't be forcing it because the relationship has been developed before dating. And if there is no one in my life that is like that, then that's fine.

I personally have to say that I'm not a giant fan of online dating, however I have recently met this girl. The only thing is, she actually lives pretty close to me, about 20 minute drive away. But we did meet online. We aren't dating currently, but I'm sure it's going to happen. And so far with updates, she makes me pretty happy which good because I'm never happy lol. We will have too see what happens. But I love all your posts on your opinions. Everyone has a different personal opinion about pretty much everything in this world, but this topic is a large debate between opinions. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In my case, it never really worked out for me, however we will have to see what happens with this girl I just met. Wish me luck (:

I've only had one online relationship. I'm not against it, but I'm also not the first to jump into one either. I think it all depends on the person, some people are able to make it work and some people, well sometimes it's hard for them to maintain an online relationship.

The one I was in didn't end to well, so that's probably why I am kind of reluctant about being in another one. But I am not against it either. If it makes someone happy, I say, why not give it a try?