Once upon a time, in a world called Whyville, a boy was sitting in the Playground and chatting with his friends. Along came a girl, who sat down beside him, and frightened the poor boy away. It seemed as if the girl wanted to date, and the question, "Are you single?" was the first piece of contact he had with her. The boy was puzzled towards why she would say such a thing. After all, he had never met or talked to her before. Not to mention that he wasn't going to get himself involved in a relationship over Whyville.
Are you familiar with the story above? Does that happen to you countless times and you are beginning to get tired of it? I know I am. Plus, the fact that I am gay gets some people a little edgy. After I tell them that, they usually back away or make fun of me. Oh, well.
Dating on Whyville has become extremely popular, and you cannot go anywhere without seeing a couple in the corner of the chat-room. At first it didn't bother me. I assumed that they were good friends and they enjoyed each other's company. Over time, people switch partners and have even dated ten to twenty people in their Whyville career (no, I am not kidding. I know people who have dated that many). I also don't understand how you can have a stable relationship on Whyville without meeting or seeing the person in real life, and this is not a good expectation.
Sometimes dating online can be a hazard. If you think about it, you could be dating someone older or younger (or less stable!) than you really think. I am close with someone on Whyville, and I have seriously thought of dating. But I like the person too much in order to date him. However, I know for a fact that he is who he says he is. Some people don't.
I think it is wonderful to meet new friends and become close with them. People from Whyville come from all parts of the world and from all walks of life. You do learn a lot from them. However, you do not have to date them to become close with them. It is very difficult to see if the person you are dating is the same gender or age as he or she says. Meeting them in real life could put yourself in danger as well. For you see, this person could be a child predator. You have to judge for yourself because the ability to date is your decision. You shouldn't date someone because of their appearance on Whyville or because they have a vast supply of clams. Being friends with them is just as important (and in my opinion, a good friend is more meaningful).
I hear the phrase "I Love You" quite often on Whyville. To be quite honest, when I hear someone on Whyville say it, I don't think of anything. People use that term too often and isn't it supposed to be something that is sacred? Love is a very valuable thing and its weird that you hand it over to someone you have known on Whyville for a week or two. If I told someone that I loved them, I would mean it. And it wouldn't be something that I tell more than one person. Let us not forget marriages on Whyville. Some people even want Whyville to get a chapel so that citizens can get married in it. I wonder what the sponsors would think. I really don't believe that the workers of Whyville encourage Internet dating.
I remember the time when babies were quite popular. It was very cute because people didn't get too into it. Many of the citizens of Whyville were once part of a family. Now, times have changed.
The aftermath of dating is horrible. You can literally cut the tension sometimes with a knife. Cheating, backstabbing, and heartache are all words that go with the dating scenario. You have to remember that Whyville is a time for exploration, learning, and meeting new people. Not dating or marrying them.
Many of you will probably think that I am out to destroy Cupid. I honestly love Valentine's Day or when a couple celebrates their Anniversary. (Watch me find the right person on Whyville and date him. Then the purpose of my article would be absolute folly.) I wanted to see what other people thought of dating on Whyville. I decided to interview citizens of Whyville and ask them, "What do you think of Internet dating?"
I first talked to Leia, who has been on Whyville for a long time. Surely she would know something about dating on Whyville. She explained to me that: "I think that Internet dating is really quite pointless. How well do you really think you know this person? On Whyville, he or she might sound like a totally cool person, but in real life, this person can be totally contrary to what you saw him or her as. Not only do I think that it is a waste of time, but it can also be dangerous. I mean, there are many incidents on the news about predators stalking young people on the Internet. Whyville is supposed to be an educational site for young kids, not act like a dating service".
Then I asked Puggis the same question. This is what he had to say: "I don't really care for it, and I don't date over the Internet. I wouldn't think badly about someone who decided to date over the net though. That's their decision".
So you see that people have very sensitive opinions on this topic. I am not trying to put an idea into your head, I am just stating my opinion. Some of you may think otherwise, and that is perfectly all right. What I am trying to get through to you is that you should make good relationships with people. Ones that you will remember10 years down the line. Don't be upset that you are single, but rather celebrate those good friendships that you have with a few people. Just because you aren't dating, it doesn't mean that they like you any less. Just be careful of who you are friends with. It takes a whole bunch of people to make our world that we live in. Watch out for yourselves and each other.
Goodbye to you,
TIKE
