How online dating lost its stigma

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Published: 12:00am, 8 Feb 2013Updated: 9:52am, 8 Feb 2013

As our lives get busier with work, it seems that love is harder than ever to find. But as our world becomes more digital, online dating is proving to be a useful tool. What's more, it's a tool that many are becoming more open about using.

So what can online dating offer? For starters, it's often easier to approach someone online, and a profile view might aid a decision to meet someone for coffee. Online dating provides the tools for screening, to some extent, before sharing a phone number with a total stranger. To some, that's preferable to propping up a bar in the search for love. "Everyone's criteria are laid out - as long as they're being honest," says psychotherapist Nikki Green healthierrelationships.com

Dating site Lovestruck lovestruck.com/hongkong offers a recommendation panel of potential likes, based on recent searches. It's a bit like Amazon recommending a book. The new version of Lovestruck rolls out next month, and will include live chat features. "A live chat with someone quickly cuts the wheat from the chaff," says founder Brett Harding. He says about 5 per cent of Lovestruck users marry someone they met on the site.

With a free initial sign-up, the hesitant can browse and "Wink" at other users before committing, but to make real contact, there's a subscription fee.

As in the British version, only white-collar workers can register. Harding says this is a way of targeting people from similar backgrounds who will hopefully have similar motives. A verification app checks Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.

Hong Kong Cupid HongKongCupid.com is available in both English and traditional Chinese. While the site has video and live chat features, the user interface is cluttered and overwhelming. The initial account set-up is easy but requires drop-down questions such as weight, appearance (average, attractive, and so on), and deeper issues like children or relocation will put some users off.

Zoosk.com run in English, mimics Facebook in that you can add "friends" to your account. Your dating profile will tell you whether you're popular, based on the number of views, e-mails and chat requests you've had.