Some of us haven’t caught up with online dating yet or are just learning the ropes, but now we need to learn the ins and outs of an even newer craze: mobile dating. Online dating revolutionized dating by using the Internet to bring people from all over the world together, providing a 24-hour place online to meet and get to know each other. The next step, speed dating, brought people back to meet people in a more intimate setting and gave them the opportunity to meet many other people they knew to be from their local area relatively quickly.
Some people are hesitant to use mobile dating because they are not as familiar with the many features of their mobile phone or PDA as they are with their home computer or laptop. But this should not stop you, because there are several advantages to mobile dating that make it worth taking the time to learn the technology of mobile use. In countries like Japan, mobile dating has spread like wildfire, with huge jumps in subscriptions to service providers by young singles. Camera phones and PDAs with video capabilities also promise to fuel the rise of mobile dating.
Some of the largest online dating service companies in the US have already started offering mobile dating features, and many more are preparing to offer them in the near future. With more and more people relying on their cell phones and mobile devices as their primary form of communication, it makes sense to provide a dating service feature through them; after all, you have it with you all the time, so it’s easy to check quickly. incoming text messages whenever you want, wherever you are.
Most mobile dating services allow you to find matches within your area by searching by zip code. This way, you can be sure you’re texting other people who are within a reasonable “dating range.” It’s a great way to meet other people in your area. It’s also a great way to meet people if you’re traveling or moving.
The learning curve is surprisingly small: texting isn’t much different than using the keyboard, except for the shorthand used by the smarter “messengers.” You can learn these “shortcut” phrases by printing out an Internet texting dictionary and keeping it handy until you master it.
Other than that, it’s a lot like online dating: You post your profile and photo, then the mobile dating service matches you up with a few people. You’ll get a few text messages from the matches and you’ll be good to go! Wait for some messages or send some of your own; everything depends on you.
Keep in mind though that subscriptions for these are a bit pricey. If you plan on using it a lot, pay for a premium subscription in advance, as overage fees can be high if you go over your limit. But after all, what is the price of true love, whether in a restaurant, bar or on a mobile date?
