Dating in the Digital Age 

Cell phones and the Internet have drastically changed the world of dating in the time since I was last single. In the mid-90s, land-line telephones were still the most common mode of communication. Cell phones were strictly for emergencies. Pagers were cool. Nobody had e-mail. If you were at school or work, you were incommunicado. Even your family couldn't reach you unless there was an emergency.

Living about 20 minutes away from Mr. Ex meant very little face-to-face communication for us. We would write letters back and forth, and I would typically page him each night when I was available to talk on the phone. Call-waiting ensured I never missed his calls. He, on the other hand, had only one line at his house. I was very cautious not to page him too much, lest I be accused of "burning it up." And I always used the appropriate codes: 411 if I had a question; 911 if it was urgent; or 58008 (figure that one out) if I was paging him from an alternate number. Once I sent my page, there was nothing left to do but hurry up and wait for him to call. Sometimes the call was immediate. Other times it didn't come at all. But what was a girl to do?

Fourteen years later, we have a whole new ball game. Though we officially met through a friend, Drama Geek first discovered me on MySpace. He knew my likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests before he ever even knew my name -- and long before I ever knew he existed. After that initial meeting, we spent hours the next day messaging back and forth on MySpace before trading e-mails and eventually text messages. No having to wait until after work. We were both juggling our responsibilities while getting to know each other.

By the time we had our first-date, we felt like old friends -- having delved into deep digital conversations. And now, that pattern continues. We trade texts to say we love each other in addition to asking for favors, advice or complaining about coworkers. We forward e-mail jokes, recipes and honey-do lists to one another throughout the day. We post comments to each other and about each other on MySpace.

It's almost like we never leave each other's side. Such instantaneous communication can be addictive. If a day passes that either of us is too swamped for daily dose of digital interaction, we feel disconnected and removed from one another.

It can be both a blessing and a curse...but regardless, the fact is that dating as we know it is a whole new world.