Martha Stewart is using online dating to find her next husband. Is this a publicity stunt?

It seems like Martha Stewart showed her "sincere" interest in online dating. She publicly announced that she signed up for an online dating service to find a date. Even Donald Trump said that guys who are able to get Martha on a date and woo her successfully would be very lucky.

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Is this a publicity stunt? Is she trying to shape her image as a trendy, adventurous person? Overall, a lot of celebrities seem to do something crazy to get the media's attention. If that's her intention, she's done it quite well. All magazines, TVs, and blogs are now running to Martha to see what's going on and what she's intending to do. She even met her 2 matches (whom she narrowed down to) on Today's show, and her matches seem to be intelligent, successful, and a "tiny" bit older than she is. Whether it's just a one-time stunt or something she seriously considers doing, it does imply something important about the online dating scene in general. The U.S. is where the entire online dating thing began in the first place. There are 40 million singles who have tried online dating, and many couples seem to have been created through it. After all, the U.S. is a BIG nation, and you get to meet only a small number of people in your town offline, especially if you don't live in a big city. There's a limit to how many people your friends can set you up with in your town.

Martha Stewart also admitted that her friends set her up in the past but it was a "total disaster." Her negative experience signifies something. She is a very successful business woman, and her friends must have tried their best to set her up with the "best" guys they know. (She's Martha Stewart, and the "benefit" would be huge if you set her up with the right person, right?) She must have been set up with very successful people in the country (or in the world!). Obviously, friends setting each other up don't work so well anymore. That's why the online dating sites that focus on getting Facebook friends' referrals never seem to take off. I've personally set my friends up a few times, and the chemistry just wasn't there for either one of them or both of them. The chance is very very low. It's also awkward to go on a date with your friend's friend and it's hard to say no. When your parents set you up with someone, it's even worse. No chemistry ever. It's superficial and it almost feels like your parents and your date's parents are getting married.

This is exactly why online dating services are a great alternative and grabbed a celebrity like Martha's attention. You don't have to involve your family or friends in it. You get to decide yourself. Especially if you are in your late 20s or older, you don't want to hook up with someone randomly or want to sit and wait for Prince Charming to woo you at a bar or a restaurant. It's convenient and easy to use! Of course, like all other websites and apps, online and social dating services have their drawbacks. Even though they claim that it's convenient, you still have to spend some time writing your profile, sending and replying to messages, chat with your potential matches, browsing dates, and so on. You also have to sift through the members to see who's real and who's fake. Thankfully, more and more sites are beginning to adopt the pre-screening process for new members (see funfundate.com), and more people are learning from mistakes and doing better at figuring out how to make the best out of online dating sites.

In my opinion, most people use online dating not because it's cool or fun but because they really "need" it. People are super-busy and they don't have a lot of time to find dates offline. Especially, as you grow older, it becomes more difficult and awkward to ask your family or friends to set you up with a compatible person. The pool is just too narrow because most of the people in your age are already married and have kids. It's indubitable that online dating services are going to become more and more popular for the older people. Humans now live much longer - like up to 100 years old- and you don't want to live and die lonely. Loneliness is one of the worst feelings that humans can have! You want and need someone who cares for you, loves you, and is there for you. Therefore, the popularity of online dating services won't go anywhere anytime soon, unless something really innovative comes out and disrupts the entire industry.