THE increasing number of people getting access to the Internet has opened up opportunities for many to search for friendship and love in cyberspace. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, for those singles who are a bit reserved and shy, the World Wide Web is worth a try to get to know someone. It is a place where you can take time to get to know him or her better without having to meet in person initially. You exchange e-mails back and forth and if you find your “cyber friend” interesting enough, can go on and have a real date.

With more people getting Net savvier by the day, it’s not surprising that online romance has lost none of its momentum that started several years ago. In case you are a bit wary about starting a relationship on the Net, a recent report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project could provide some measure of comfort.

The report stated that 37 per cent of the single adults in a sample of 3,215 adults had gone to a dating Web site or other online location to meet people and 15 per cent knew of someone who was in a marriage or other long-term relationship that began online. A notable number of these online daters have found firsthand that lasting romance can be forged online; while another significant percentage said they have entered long-term relationships or married someone they met through the services.

Nevertheless, there’s also a growing concern that not everything is all rosy with online romance. Like offline dating, there’s bound to be risks associated with online romance as well. People with bad intentions also log on to the Internet, and especially dating Web sites. We have read reports of women falling victims on their first date, some even losing their life in the hands of strangers that moonlight as a prospective candidates for a more serious relationship.

These horror stories could deter people from engaging in online romance. Well, they shouldn’t. There have been other success stories of online romance that could be a source of inspiration. The important thing is to exercise extra precaution and be on alert all the time.

For lonely hearts out there, hit the keyboard and click on the mouse today! It might just be your lucky day.