As you read this article, do people in your life know that you’re a member of MeetNigerians.net (MN) or are you embarrassed to admit it? Or have you been in a situation where the name of this website came up in a group conversation with your Naija friends, and your heart skipped a bit while you tried to re-gain composure and keep a straight face, pretending you didn’t know what they were talking about? On the other hand, it’s equally likely that you’ve never been in such a situation because everyone’s keeping it to themselves, aha!
I know someone who met her husband on facebook and didn’t want to divulge this information about how they met on their wedding website . . . Err? Moving along (lol), in this age of social media and Web 2.0 or is it 3.0, why are people, not just Nigerians, still skeptical or for lack of better terms – “weirded out” - about online dating ?
It seems people view online dating as a sign of “desperation”. Really? I don’t think so. What’s the difference in motive of people who go to nightclubs, churches or crash weddings to “scope” “eligibles”? Oh please don’t pretend to be shocked! Lol – By the way I’ve done one out of the three I just mentioned; not that you care ; - ). Anyway, it appears that we tend to find these behaviors more “acceptable” (correct me if I’m wrong).
My point is, being on the lookout and opening yourself up to the possibilities of finding a partner / date / or whatever you’re looking for is what people have always done and will continue to do. However we choose to go about finding love, one thing I’m pretty sure about is that no one wants to grow old alone.
What do you think about the stigma - too strong of a word perhaps, but I’m sure you catch my drift - attached to online dating? What do you think makes people uncomfortable to do it or admit to it? I’m also curious to know how you discovered this site – a friend who thought I was getting too old and that I should be proactive about changing my marital status recommended this site to me on my birthday, after a lengthy lecture of course : )