3 Signs You Need To Take A Break From Online Dating

From the 24/7 connectivity provided by Facebook and Twitter, to obsession-causing virtual worlds like Second Life, to online RPGs and the endless hours of entertainment offered by streaming video sites, there are few things as addictive as the World Wide Web. Online dating has been hailed as the future for love-seeking singles everywhere, and has largely lived up to its reputation, but the world of online matchmaking is far from immune from the addictive powers of the Internet.

What begins as a genuine search for love and companionship turns into an unhealthy preoccupation for some online daters who become obsessed with creating the perfect profile, finding the perfect picture, and crafting the perfect message. Instead of increasing their chances of finding a match, the hours spent online feeding their addiction, instead of translating their online flirtations into real-world meetups, are detrimental to these daters' success. Has online dating become an obsession for you? Do you need to step away from the keyboard, and step back into the local singles scene?

Here are 3 signs that it's time for you to take a break from online dating:

1. You check your profile multiple times every day. Brushing your teeth more than once a day is a healthy habit. Signing into to your online dating account multiple times per day is not. Pay close attention to the amount of time you devote to searching the photos of eligible singles and writing messages to potential matches. Spending hours logged on, interacting with the digital world rather than the real one, is not going to make you a more interesting, desirable date.

2. You obsessively fine-tune your online persona. Is that photo intriguing enough? Does my profile make me sound attractive? Is this message intelligent, witty, and unique? Does my tagline express who I really am? Taking the time to create a profile that illuminates your personality and piques other singles' curiosity is advisable for any online dater, but obsessing over it is not. Try a few options until you find what works, and update it occasionally to reflect your life accurately, but don't make neurotic daily changes.

3. You've become unnecessarily picky. If no one can live up to your standards, maybe it's time to reevaluate your standards. There will always be duds on online dating sites - but there are plenty of great dates, too. Perhaps the list of dealbreakers on your profile is so daunting that other singles are discouraged, or maybe your search parameters are so narrow that you're missing out on a lot of compatible matches. Your expectations should be high, but not unrealistic.

If looking for love online is becoming an obsession, consider taking a break from dating in cyberspace. Focus on real-world dating for awhile and return refreshed, armed with realistic expectations, a few new skills to increase your chance of success, and an addiction-free approach to online dating.