By Thanh Kacic

 In a city such as Leeds surely finding a date couldn''t be that hard. Well, surprisingly enough, many people find that forming relationships in cities, where there are countless opportunities to meet others, is actually more difficult than in smaller towns and villages where people are often more relaxed and open with each other.


As a consequence, many city dwellers are looking online to find their soulmate. Almost five million of us Brits actively use dating sites each day and up to 20% of newlyweds meet online through dating sites.

Facebook, Friends Reunited and even online gaming sites paved the way for dating sites. They have allowed online relationships in whatever form to flourish and be ''fashionable''.

Social networking sites have paved the way for dating sites. We now do so much online, from banking to shopping, why not dating? Time is of the essence in today''s fast-paced globalised world. But it''s not just time that makes five million people choose to use dating sites everyday.

First dates are always nerve racking experiences; what do you wear? What if you say something stupid? What if you just don''t get on?

But if you go out with someone you met in a bar on Friday night at 11.30pm then they can be even worse. What if you don''t remember what they look like? You were a little intoxicated after all. What band was it that you both liked again? This was pretty much the only thing you had in common.

With online dating, a good proportion of the first date nerves are taken away. You already know quite a bit about your date and may have even spoken to them online already so you''ll have plenty of conversation starters. You know exactly what they look like, depending on their Photoshop skills of course. Plus you have chosen each other out of hundreds of other potential dates ? completely sober.

Dating in today''s world is more about fun and finding ''the one'' is not such a rush. People don''t want to get too serious too quickly any more. The industry is growing and this is set to continue. So much so that a research body predicted the dating industry to generate 368 million pounds in the next two years.

Thanh Kacic is the author of this article. If you are looking for Glasgow dating, or you are interested in lesbian or gay dating the Guardian Soulmates website provide a safe, secure and anonymous way to find and communicate with people of your choice.

LGBT Issues