In the modern era, technology and industry have been progressing faster than Michael Phelps fell from national hero status (apparently, Phelps’ off season training methods were a little too natural for all those suburban soccer moms). As a wise man once said, “things just ain’t what they used to be.” So it’s no surprise that in the age of mass media and information frenzy, dating has hit the big time baby with the Internet. Not only has the popularity of online dating skyrocketed in the new millennium, but it has also succeeded in connecting millions of hopeless saps with, well, millions of other hopeless saps. And with our Internet-crazed generation, it looks like this cyber love connection is here to stay. It has certainly carved out its spot as a legitimate (well, that might be too strong a word) medium of finding love in the hearts of millions of Russian mail-order brides. Like any age old activity that is being shaped and molded into a fresh format, online dating is still in the process of catching on. In actuality, over 80% of Ames High students still dismiss the concept of Internet dating as illegitimate and creepy despite the fact that many students maintain and develop entire relationships on the web via social sites, such as Facebook and My Space. In many ways, the recent development of online dating has been synonymous to a baby polar bear stumbling out of the den for the first time. It trips and falls a few times before it gets the hang of the gravity thing, but ultimately, it thrives in the bear eat bear world that is the Internet. It is a little confusing that most of the student body rejects internet dating when one considers its versatility. Not only does Internet dating provide a practical love purpose, but it is also a therapeutic means of filling any narcissistic void. With most sites having features like the “self summary,” it is easy to make oneself seem like the God’s gift to our wonderful planet. One of the more potent examples of narcissistic indulgence was found in this mystery woman’s self summary on okcupid.com—“I am honest, smart, emotionally mature and may scare or intimidate you because of the previous qualities.” Another great personality summary that is actually quite common is describing oneself as having both “a great sense of humor” and “a profound and thoughtful serious side.” It is also bewildering as to why the majority of Ames High students have given cyber love a stamp of disapproval when one ponders the fact that two-thirds of the student body said that they were single on Valentine’s Day. This provokes the question: Is it better to be a successful e-lover or a real life loner? Perhaps that is a matter of personal philosophy, but maybe, just maybe, some students could learn a thing or two about the game of love through the vast expanse of seemingly endless and useless knowledge so called the World Wide Web.