| Assisted by smart phones, improvements in website design, and societal changes internet dating has grown in popularity over the past decade. Fascinated by the growing popularity of internet dating, and the concerns that people are not honest in their profiles, I began this project. Using a modified grounded theory approach, and content analysis, I examined blog entries of seventeen subjects who discussed their experiences with seeking romance online. This approach helped me understand what people chose to omit from their profile and how they then managed the omitted information. The study found that what was included in a dating profile was often vague and shallow. However, the process that went into choosing what to include, or omit, was quite complex. Subjects wanted to highlight their general interest, their financial independence, and their social skills but did so in ways that did not compromise their safety. The subjects managed the omitted traits by using discretion when creating their profile, and slowly sharing details about omitted traits as time passed, and trust and the relationship grew. |