American singles occupy a unique station in the popular consciousness. On the one hand, they are envied for the freedom with which they move from place to place, job to job, and partner to partner in any manner they deem fit. On the other hand, they are pitied for traveling through life alone, as if the choice to fly solo weren't one of volition but fate. And they are puzzling to marketers, who aren't quite sure what to make of their spending habits and product preferences.

These are, of course, very vague generalizations about a group that does not easily conform to any single standard. Many American singles nonetheless do find themselves united by a common bond--the need for companionship. Disregarding those singles who are much happier on their own--and this is no small fringe sect--American singles find themselves with several choices when choosing ways to attract a mate.

American Singles of Yesteryear

In the old days, American singles took one of a few preferred routes down the path of courtship. Most common, perhaps, was the bar or club scene, which remains a popular draw, especially for those who put more stock in the way their single brothers and sisters move than in what they have to say. Anyone who's left a disco inferno and suffered two days of perpetual ear-ringing can attest to this. Other singles met their dates through mutual friends, one of the most proven methods of finding a suitable match.

Today, however, the Internet is that common friend, uniting folks of disparate backgrounds in one central locale. Internet dating has profoundly changed the way in which singles meet, connect, disband, and meet again. With online matchmaking services, American singles no longer have to suffer through relentlessly bad jukeboxes, watered-down drinks, and crowded bars full of competition for what are, unquestionably, limited resources.