I see so many twenty somethings and even a few 18 and 19 year olds on these sites, it astounds me. If someone is young and healthy, with no responsibilities tying them down,,why dont they get out and meet people? Goodness, when I was that age I would not have been in places like this because I Was too busy going out with family or going dancing or to shows or ANYTHING but sitting on a computer. Do you think this is a sign of decaying social skills or what?

I think the vast majority of kids that age ARE out and about being social in real life - the ones on here are either goofing off or never had the required social skills to make friends or get dates in their day to day lives.

I'm on here simply for entertainment.

I still go to shows, hang out with friends and family, and spend my free time like I want.


...oh and I work at bar for my part time job so my social skills are just fine.

I think a lot othem already have BFs/GFs or other romantic interests but are also looking for more

Online I don't have to listen to the drab, boring stories I don't want to hear...I can ignore them completly. Online I don't run the risk of getting beat up because of my views...I can rest easily in my chair. Online I only have to talk to people I want to talk too...I'm much more comfortable when I have the options.

And...the final stroke. I wish when I leave the state of Illinois that it will fall into a river and be washed away into the ocean. I hate this state...

It also reflects in their writing skills, and manners when trying to send a "first contact". Wazzzz up!

social skills are hard, at least if you want to be genuine. <--lacks social skills

or it could be the world has changed so much and been taught by parents or by peers to be lazy smoke weed be greedy and just exsist

come to california youll love it here

i agree melody

yeah I agree with you msharmony...seems so many young are almost desperate sounding... almost sad , to be so young and to feel that way.
Aw, to be young and bold and carefree, no one to worry about or take care of.

The 3-4-5 plan for success.

3 letters-JOB, get one and show up everyday.

4 letters-WORK, Do it, it gives you something useful to do with your life, meet people, interact with the world.

5-letters-MONEY-If you do the first two, every payday you will get some. Pay your bills and have some fun with it, don't forget to save some too.

BONUS
6 letters-SHOWER-Everyday you go to work take a shower.

If you can do these things, you will develop the modicum of social skills that you can take with you wherever you go.

I'm 36, but I don't consider myself old. I'm healthy and I have stellar social skills. I don't think I'm so much of a troll that I couldn't find a guy in the "real world" if I was still looking for one. I have excellent writing skills.

I think it's pretty sad that people still consider dating online to have a social stigma; is it better to meet a loser/liar/player/cheater/jerk/b!tch/jackass/psychotic/murderer/baby rapist in a bar or a church or the college campus or any other place in the real world? Personally I find online to be a hell of a lot safer than the so-called real world. At least this way if the other person annoys you or threatens you in some way you can block them or report them or just sign out and never have to deal with them again.

Online dating also gives shy/reserved/cautious people a way to meet others without a lot of bs; you can really get to know someone online before you decide to meet in person, again saving on a lot of nonsense. I've met a lot of straight up azzholes in the real world before I ever knew about online dating; if I had had the opportunity to stand back and watch their ignorant posts, I never would have agreed to meet them. It's different in real life, people know you're watching them or listening to them, so they put their best foot forward and you can be deceived.

I don't have kids and I never will, but if I did, I'd much rather they did the "loser online dating thing" than the "cool whoring around in real life thing," but hey, that's just me.

Not my intention to confuse the extremes. I dont support whoring around either. I just suggest that it may be a healthy thing to get OUT and meet people. As a mother of two , my schedule and ability to do that are limited by my responsibilities, but I dont understand how someone in their twenties with no responsibility to anyone but themself would choose to type their conversations instead of to have real face to face ones. If I were stil in my twenties and childless , I would not be spending my time searching for the internet brand of friends,, not that there is anything wrong with it,,just that I think it is not quite as healthy or fulfilling as being with real people and making real human contact.

Kids today are so "tech savy", and when a way to communicate with friends and loved ones is discovered, they flock to it. My 18 year old cousin and her boyfriend will IM each other on there laptops, even when they are in the same room. I asked her why they did it, and she said, "Cause it is just so the in thing to do".

Texting has turned everyone into a coward

Instead of the old line of "Can I call you sometime?", it has now turned into "Can I have your cell number? I would love to text you sometime for a date."

Then don't know how to act / speak when actually on the date

Sooooooo.....can I text you sometime?

Sure Goof