From the Editor; September / October 2012; Scientific American Mind; by Sandra Upson; 1 Page(s)

Curled up with a blanket, laptop and cup of tea, I checked my e-mails from the dating Web site I had recently joined. I had high hopes: much as I might hunt online for a new neighborhood café to try, I could now search for love just as systematically.

The messages I received told a different story. One suitor wrote: “Hey miss, dug your toe tag.” (What!) Another: “You're asking for a lot in your profile (which is a bit boring I might add).” A third: “I stand out from the rest!! Reason 1 I am normal hehe LOL.” My account did not stay active for long. “Dating in a Digital World,” by Eli J. Finkel et al. on page 26, demystifies this psychological minefield, explaining the art of message writing and the ways online dating toys with our expectations. One tip for navigating these sites: strictly limit the time spent perusing profiles.