CBS
EARLY SHOW -- Mar 31 -- Today, online dating is socially acceptable and
totally mainstream. 26 million people visit dating sites each month.
Consumers will spend over $500 million on online dating services this
year. The Early Show turns to AOL's Consumer Adviser Regina Lewisfor tips on finding love online. Lewis says that for many
singles, heading online is actually the preferred method of hooking up
with potential dates because it offers them more control over their
dating lives..."it can be a lot more productive. That has inherent
appeal for a lot of people with busy lives." Lewis says about
half of the people who date online claim to be "serious daters." The
other half, are "casual daters," who simply want to meet more people
and have a good time. Match.com, the largest, claims that about 200,000 users a year find the relationship they are looking for. Eharmonyreports 4,000 marriages. About 18% of those dating online now are
over 55. The other big trend is the growing number of "niche"
dating sites. "The people I talk to who seem happiest with the process
view it all as upside," she says, "They're happy to go on three or four
dates a week even if many of them turn out to be not-so hot. They look
at it as at least I'm getting out there. Others do get burnt by
the process and often make comments like, 'If I go on one more bad
date, I am going to scream, and this is taking up tons of time and
getting me nowhere.'" Then again, when you remind them, sitting at home
also gets them nowhere, they tend to come around and concede, 'I guess
you're right.'" FULL ARTICLE @ CBS NEWS

Mark Brooks:
This sums up the upside of online dating nicely. There's not much
in the way of downside, and it's a helluva deal for the money.