Online dating is not dating. Meeting someone on the computer and never going on a physical outing with them is not dating someone.

Most people who online date have never met. In fact, lots of people involved in online relationships never plan on meeting.

“Dating someone who you’ve never met is too silly to pick apart,” said University of North Carolina at Asheville sophomore Gray McDiarmid in an interview with The Guilfordian.

“Online dating only opens up the number of people you can interact with.”

You may be able to find multiple people to talk to, but finding out who someone really is and if you love them involves meeting them face-to-face.

However, “catfish” is what some people find when dating online.

“Catfishing” is thinking that you have met someone online that you love only to find out that you have fallen for false emotions and feelings.

“Getting catfished is just a 21st-century twist on the timeless shitty first date,” said McDiarmid.

“If you get catfished, it’s not worth it,” said University of North Carolina at Greensboro junior Nicole Schwarz in an interview with The Guilfordian. “If you really fall in love, I guess it’s worth it, but people should really meet the natural way or in person.”

Of course, there are more than a few cases where online daters have found true love.

“I found my soul mate,” said a woman named Polina in an online testimony for Match.com. “Who could’ve guessed that a girl from Siberia can find a guy from Puerto Rico and fall madly in love?”

Still, finding someone online that you really love is tough, especially if the person is only out for a fling.

“Most women just want to hook up,” said former online dater Nathan Gann in an interview with The Guilfordian. “(Online dating) has gotten me laid multiple times.”

People sometimes intentionally say they are interested in you just for sex, but there is no way to know until you meet them.

“My grandfather met someone online,” said University of North Carolina at Greensboro junior Travis Luck. “That didn’t work out; he just wanted to get laid anyways.”

Some people who like to online date just feel horny, lonely, secluded or unattractive.

“It’s fake and a nice booster to see how many people actually look at them,” said Gann. “It’s bullshit for people to feel pretty.”

Sadly, in today’s world, it seems people are so desperate for love that they force it upon themselves.

“I don’t think you should have to try that hard to find someone,” said Schwarz. “You meet someone when you meet someone.”

Online dating is not a sustainable source of dating or finding love. It is abused by many, and you never know what you are really getting.

“It’s unnatural,” said Schwarz. “Just because you meet someone online, does not mean you’ll ever meet them in person. You don’t know who they are, so you can fall in love with their words, but not them as a person.”