People were dating long before the Internet was created. The Internet is merely a tool to meet people, but people have many other ways to find partners for e.g. friends, work, church, clubs, matchmakers. All the studies show that most people meet their partners through work. The advantage about online dating is that people can do it from home, and it does generate more dates. It works best for older people and busy professionals who don't have the time or energy to do the club thing anymore.