Online dating as a Christmas present?

November 28th, 2008

A few years ago when I was single and getting over a bad relationship, my friend got me a Christmas gift that made it clear she thought it was time for me to start dating again. I don’t remember the exact contents of the little box she got me, but I remember it included some nice pampery products like body lotion or bubble bath, some incense (for atmosphere) and, of course, some condoms. I was reminded of that Christmas gift recently when I saw the Christmas offering by MySingleFriend

It’s a dating site membership that you can get for someone else. Great for a last minute gift idea for someone who might be feeling lonely this Christmas. While many dating sites offer you the chance to pay for someone else’s subscription if they are already registered, MySingleFriend is the only site I know of that lets you set up someone from scratch.

It’s a well known fact in the online dating industry that Christmas is the busiest time of year on online dating sites. Why is it that the Christmas spike beats even Valentine’s day when it comes to people rushing to the sites to find love?

Christmas is one of those times of year when being alone can, frankly, really suck. All those images of happy families everywhere are bad enough, so couple that with the pressures of spending time with your family and the miserable weather and it might account for some of the reasons behind the traditional rush. Also, with people being off work, there’s plenty of free time to be spent alone wishing someone else was there with them.

But while some people turn to online dating in a bid to change their lives, others are still not sold on the idea. Others (like me a few years back), may have given up on the idea of dating altogether and may need a gentle shove in the right direction.

If you think your single friend would secretly like to try online dating but is a bit too shy or proud (or if you think they should but they’re not convinced), Christmas is your chance to give them a present that may actually change their life (or give them a good laugh at the very least!). A month’s membership to the site could be the push they need to get started and see if they like the concept of online dating. Even if they grumble, you know they’ll be curious enough to have a look.

Couple it with new lipstick for a woman and a pair of new underwear (or something equally ridicilous) for a bloke and you’re laughing, or swap those round for an even bigger laugh

Of course, you can also set yourself up and get your friends to write about you…
Christmas gift idea aside, I find MySingleFriend to be one of the best sites in the UK. It’s the place where all the trendy people you never thought would be caught dead on an online dating site go, which may make it more likely to appeal to people who cringe at the concept. It’s a bit low on the feature list (searching and messaing is about all you can do there), but most people who use it don’t seem to mind. All in all, the perfect present for those who may otherwise never try online dating even though they really should.

Related posts:

1. 5 things you can do now to get a boyfriend / girlfriend by Christmas
2. Online dating and the credit crunch

Entry Filed under: Misc