Too much internet dating?

Edahn,

A few weeks ago I signed up for the internet dating site JDate, not because I have a hard time meeting girls, but because I have a hard time meeting JEWISH girls. Since I started "using" (it sometimes feels like a drug) all of Jdate's resources I noticed my social life has gone to shit. I have forgotten how to interact with people in real life...I'm not AS responsive as I used to be and that makes me feel awkward at times. There's no pause/delay time in real life that gives a person the opportunity to say that perfect response. Do you have any thoughts on how a person can use the skills they've picked up by talking to girls over the internet and somehow translate it into normal person to person conversation.


Sometimes I tell people not to worry because I know it's what they need to hear to move forward, but I'm going to tell you not to worry because you really don't have to. As you keep developing your online persona and voice, the jokes and responses will start coming faster and faster. Over a pretty short time, your online persona and real life persona will merge together, and you'll have your jokes and responses when you need them. You don't need to actively do anything. It's already happening naturally. If anything, you should be worried that it happens too much and you start talking to people like you're online, drawing emoticons on napkins instead of smiling and asking girls at Starbucks if they'd like to meet you for coffee sometime.