Email flirting. Courtship for the Naughties or just plain laziness? I’ve recently experienced this new fangled flirtation first-hand and I have to say, I’m not a fan. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about your Mysinglefriend and Match.coms. Oh no. What I’m referring to is a far more developed concept than the average online dating site. Far more complicated, far more bizarre. This is geek chic at it’s best. Welcome to the Virtual Relationship. Please leave your sanity at the door.

At the risk of sounding, well… normal, I’m a big fan of interfacing. And by that my technophobe friends, I mean actual face-to-face interaction. I would even go as far to say as I enjoy it. Yep that’s right. You heard me. Well lock me up, and throw away the key because it seems that these days, the closest thing I’m getting to colourful conversation comes in the rather sad form of HTML.

Beware The Virtual Relationship, for it is a wily beast and can strike when you least expect it. Remember that friendly banter you had with your travel agent when he emailed over your itinerary? Or how about the supplier at work who sends you cheeky messages now and again? Both are top contenders for the Virtual Relationship. All it takes is that first email, the odd butterfly when you see his name pop up on your screen whilst you’re pretending to work but really Facebooking and that’s it! You have succumbed to the VR. Hook, line, and sinker.

As with any situation, there are the pros. You don’t have to brush your hair. You can spend hours crafting a perfectly tuned email, ensuring that you come across as funny, intelligent, and perhaps most crucially, down with the kidz. Where this dating revolution falls short is unlike it’s optimistic counterparts, the aforementioned Match.com and Mysinglefriend, there is no pot of gold at the end of rainbow. Not even a penny.

Never one to shy away from the giant finger of blame, I’m forced to consider the possibility that the problem may lie with me. As the great Bob Dylan once said, The Times, They Are A-Changin’. Could it be that I’m the one not getting with the program? Along with Rainbow Bright lunch boxes and chinos, dating seems to be a thing of the past. But did it ever really exist or was it all a rom-com induced illusion?

Whatever the answer, one thing’s for sure. For now I’m hanging up my mouse, strapping on my best pair of heels, and heading out to find a man whose social skills don’t rely on the strength of my broadband. I might even brush my hair.