Online Dating On The Rise

Online dating sites are now experiencing a 10 to 20 percent jump in memberships.

"I mean if you can't find them out here, you might as well try something new," laughs 18 year old Elizabeth Lunardini.

Match.com relationship expert Whitney Casey says the increase is pretty common around this time of year.  "There is a lot of pressure from families and the holidays to actually have a partner.  The second issue is it's cold outside, and there is not much to do, and people start realizing really how alone they are."

Many people say they are just tired of going around in circles looking for love, and that's why they are turning to online dating.

"Tired of the regular experience, going out and trying to find somebody. You gonna meet a good person downtown? Probably not," says Michael Motes.  He admit his first experience on match.com wasn't too great, but says he would try it again.  "We weren't compatible you know. Match didn't really match us up correctly on that one you know, but maybe give it another try sometime."

Some of our Facebook fans shared how they actually met and married the love of their lives through dating sites.  Still, others weren't as successful.  So to maximized your cyber space on dating sites, Whitney gives this tip, "the more that you actually use your profile, like you do Facebook, upload pictures to it, update the newest book you have read, or the latest trip you have been on, the more likely you are to be in searches themselves."

Whitney also warns against using social media sites like Facebook and Craigslist as dating tools.  She says there are no safety measures put in place solely for dating on social media sites.

"The second that you have gone on a bad date, and you have already Facebooked with somebody, you are going to be really upset that you have been Facebooking with them. Because now, they have access to all of your friends, they have access to your family. They know all the pictures. You can't get out of it after that. It's like you have enclosed your entire life and too much information too soon."