World revolves around Internet

Forbes magazine has come out with its annual list of best cities in America for swinging singles and has added a new category to its rankings.

Because of its increasing popularity, online dating was taken into consideration when establishing a city?s overall hipness. To arrive at the online dating ranking, the number of active Web site personal profiles were judged in comparison to the number of single adults in the city.

For the record, Nashville ranked 22nd in the online dating scene and, by coincidence, 22nd overall. Denver was No. 1 overall, just in case you were wondering.

What this tells me is something I already know. Computers are becoming entrenched in every aspect of our daily lives. From finding the latest world headlines on CNN.com to finding a date for Friday night, more and more Americans are turning to the Internet.

It?s a sign of the times. Growing up playing football in the backyard, it never once occurred to me to have my own Web site. There were no Web sites.

Nowadays you?d be hard pressed to find a teenager who doesn?t have a site on MySpace.com. It?s as common as french fries and Sundrop.

I was at Bonnaroo a couple months ago talking to several 20-somethings from McMinnville. Since I?m a firm believer of the creed ?What happens at Bonnaroo, stays at Bonnaroo,? the names of these young men have been changed to protect the innocent.

?Billy? had enjoyed a little too much of the Bonnaroo festivities and was carrying on (and on) about the Internet. Since ?Billy? never dreamed his comments would appear in the paper, I would feel bad about revealing his name.

?I?m sick and tired of all this Internet chat. I just want to talk to a girl. I tell them to give me a call on a real, live phone but they keep sending me the same dumb messages. Enough already. I can?t stand that stupid talk anymore. When I get back home, I?m taking down my My.Space site.?

There was an eerie silence.

?Hold on man,? said a guy I?ll refer to as ?Jimmy.?

?You better think about that for awhile. I wouldn?t do that if I were you,? added ?Willie.?

I stood there looking at the three of them realizing how important a My.Space site really is in their world. It?s how they express themselves. It?s a piece of who they are. And it?s how they try to meet girls.

So much for the days of bravely walking up to a girl and asking to hold her hand. That?s been replaced by posting a comment to her Web site and hoping she replies.

The problem I have with this, and it took me some time to reach this point, is the anonymous nature of the Internet. It takes the personal aspect out of the most personal thing of all ? our dating relationships.

You don?t know if the person you?re chatting with is an 18-year-old teen or a 48-year-old man with two kids. You could even be chatting with a girl pretending to be a man.

The Internet opens the door to relationships that would otherwise never be developed. It opens the door for middle-aged men to try to meet 14-year-old girls in a hotel room. And it opens the door for students to post somewhat provocative messages to even their school teachers. Yes, times really have changed.

The Internet is a great informational tool that has done nothing but make my job easier here at the paper. It?s also forever changed the way men and women can begin a relationship ? or in some cases adults and children.

With every advantage comes a disadvantage.

James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].