Online dating (or Internet dating)
Online dating has been a growing phenomenon with more and more young individuals signing up to meet new people in the online setting.
As quoted by authoritative sources, Online dating (or Internet dating), is a system that enables strangers to find and introduce themselves to new personal connections over the internet, usually with the goal of developing personal, romantic, or sexual relationships.
There are online dating services which allow users to become "members" where they could create their profile and upload their personal information including (but not limited to) age, gender, sexual orientation, location, and appearance. Further, most services also encourage members to add photos or videos to
Some of the main advantages disclosed that with the busy lifestyle of individuals today, people just do not have time to date or go out and meet people the traditional way, on line dating is let’s just say handy. The users can access the site anytime and in few minutes if they have a PC or a mobile device and an internet connection. Likewise, there is a higher chance of meeting someone of similar interests as the information provided leads to better understanding of each other before even the conversation has taken place. Another is that, it is easier to meet people that are single and “in the market” and less fear of rejection because before you enter into, you have already matched the other people’s interest While online dating is popular nowadays, nonetheless there are advantages as well as disadvantages that we should consider in availing thereof. Some of the main advantages disclosed that with the busy lifestyle of individuals nowadays people just do not have time to date or go out and meet people the traditional way, online dating is let’s just say handy. The users can access the site anytime and in few minutes if they have a PC or a mobile device and an internet connection. Likewise, there is a higher chance of meeting someone with similar interests as the information provided leads to better understanding of each other
For example, online dating sites may expose more female members in particular to stalking, fraud, and sexual violence by online predators. There are possibilities that members may lie about their height, weight, age, or marital status in an attempt to market or brand themselves in a particular way.
The biggest issue however, surrounding online dating clearly exists around the deception online, but in my opinion, it is not only online you can be deceived by people because there is no face to face or physical interactions taking place and you cannot see the person opposite side of the computer. But then, the availability of web cameras you can possibly talk and interact with the use of it. It is for the person to be cautious at all times to prevent any untoward situation online or offline.
Overall, it is a matter of choice whether a person choose to go on online dating. People that are against it are not forced to join on line dating services thus, it should not be a reason to be bothered by this issue of the
Another concern is that the number of misrepresentations in profiles may create problems as couples learn more about their spouses after the wedding; one of the primary fears that people have about online dating is encountering sexual predators.
Online dating has become so popular through the years. It has been a stepping stone for people of all ages in different ways. Most young people use social networking, and most people of older descent uses dating websites like eHarmony where you have to pay to meet that perfect match. Nev, Ernie, and Shauntel were all victims of online dating and as you can see most result came out positive and other times it came out negative. Ernie has was one who seen his cup both half full and half empty. The show Catfish shows the many people get lied to through online dating and gives a really bad name. Statistics show that people on online dating site lie about their age, height, and weight to make there self-look more appealing to others. Online dating can be used for good or for evil but it all depends on who’s sitting behind the computer screen.
There are an endless number of reasons why people put ads out for dating, which are anywhere from convenience, to time since most of us have very busy schedules. It also allows people to get themselves out to a specific group that may or may not have been able to reach without this source. Many people don’t like the bar scene and feel it to be a somewhat more secure way of getting out there to perhaps meet new people with the possibility of meeting “the one”. For myself personally I am on a few dating sites for basically all the reasons which I have listed above. Generally the schedule I keep does not permit ample time to get out of my circle to meet new people that I may possibly care to date. In some situations it might be, a good way for more shy people to get into circulation in the dating world because it gives them a port of entry that is non- threatening nor is it as intrusive. Nonetheless this still poses many dilemmas and challenges to most that are engaging in the online dating lifestyles.
The first principle being that people react to things on the basis of the meanings they have for them. To begin to determine the meanings people have for online dating, it would be helpful to look at the type of sites they are searching on, joining and essentially advertising themselves on. Someone who frequents a site like ‘match.com’ likely has very different meanings and intentions in regards to online dating than someone on a site like ‘Ashley Madison’ where the goal is simply to have an affair. In Blumer’s second step, where people derive meaning from their social interactions, sociologists might look at the type of social interactions between peers both online and off. They could be engaging in this activity because they know other people who have been successful, or maybe they have simply been unsuccessful through conventional routes. Maybe they feel the need to find someone because their friends are in relationships and they have a desire to fit in utilizing whatever means necessary. The third step is an interpretive process; that is the person takes everything they have learned about the meanings tied to online dating and adds their own interpretation to it. Maybe someone interprets online dating as simply the only way to get a date now, or maybe their interpretation is that it’s one of many methods used to try to to meet
As online relationships seem to increase in a myriad amount of ways it has become easier to meet singles, find dates, and make friends. A. DeVito wrote, “The number of internet users is rapidly increasing, and commercial websites devoted to helping people meet other people are proliferating, making it especially easy to develop online relationships” (307). DeVito
With social networking services being more and more popular, it is universal to have online dating. According to a report, “over 40 million Americans have given online dating a try, and over a third of the American couples married between 2005 and 2012 met online.” This phenomenon causes us to think deeply about whether online dating is advisable or not. Because of the rapid development of technology and economy, many stressed people are eagerly seeking confidence and self-identity through the internet. Therefore, online dating has become a new and acceptable method of loving subconsciously. However, it should never replace meeting a person in real life because it may be spurious, illusory and fragile.
Online Dating is defined as “the practice of searching for a romantic or sexual partner on the internet, typically via a dedicated website” (Oxford). In 2012, there were an estimated 1500 different dating websites in the United States and thousands more around the world. The most common dating websites are Match.com, Adultfriendfinder.com, christianmingle.com, Zoosk.com, and eHarmony.com. There are others depending on the user’s interests such as Cams.com is for those who like to communicate by camera, Gay.com is for those interested in other gay singles, Blacksingle.com is for those interested in other black singles and Seniorpeoplemeet.com is for the older person who is looking for that particular other in their age range. All dating sites can differ a lot or somewhat but they all have the same concept. The concept of joining matching singles. Online Dating eposes the differences between modern dating and traditional dating, and shows how dating has evolved throughout the times. Despite Online Dating has grown in popularity it's not clear that its safer than traditional dating. People use this website to communicate with each other using, email, chat and other service such as video. Usually after chatting for a specific amount of time the users tend to meet. Online Dating is a modern day phenomenon and helps by expanding the user’s network of finding a potential partner, which can help people lead to successful marriages, but also has negative outcomes that people need o be aware of.
It began with strictly dating websites, then in 2002 Myspace was created. This was the spark of social media, and the first way to find potential mates online without going to a website that is specifically made for dating. As time has passed the online dating world has flourished. “There are sites for virtually every city, every sexual orientation, every desired relationship, every religion, every race and almost every hobby.” It is said that “nearly 20 million people visit at least one online dating site every month and 120,000 marriages every year take place, at least in part, due to online dating.”
With technology advances steadily in today’s society, individuals steadily advance too. One of these aspects includes dating. Individuals in today’s society hope to find companionship through online dating websites so that someday some online daters might be able to find a companion. With websites like eHarmony, Match, Christian Mingle, OkCupid, Black People Meet, and JDate, finding the one seems to be easier and more convenient than ever. Most of these websites even display statistics showing that one out of five relationships start online. The questions that should be asked, is this a better and safer option than looking for the one in person? Individuals tend to ignore the possible risks involving online dating. They are willing to release personal information from pictures of oneself, to locations of where they work, or live just for the possibility of finding a companion. The online users have to ask themselves: is the risk worth it in the end, or does the benefit outweighs the cost? When searching for a companionship through online dating websites, negative aspects such as profiles, self-presentation, self-disclosure, predators and sexual mishaps, may outweigh the positive aspects and cause more problems and strife then actual good.
After doing more research in the impact of technology on interpersonal relation, I realized that technology isn’t all that great, because it hinder us from socializing practically and create a healthy interpersonal relationship. In like manner, the same goes for online dating because in my opinion, effective communication still needs to be done in person. Body language, voice tone, and physical contact make a huge difference in making conversation more alive.
And because of the influence of movies and media, it pressurizes people into subconsciously thinking that their date with that special someone should be extraordinary which usually ends up being rather expensive. While the same cannot be said about online dating as it is cost efficient and allows people to expand their horizons by not limiting themselves to the same circle of people. However, people are more likely to imagine their future with someone in traditional dating based on their personality, habits, and more, while the same cannot be said about online dating. But if done right, online dating can help a person meet other people in the real world who they have much in common with. With the help of technology, they can be living on the opposite sides of the world and still get to know each other well, giving them a chance to delay commitment until they are
They also pointed out that there are different experience between online dating and traditional dating. Users of online dating can filter the partners by reading the profiles from lots of choices. They need to arrange a time to meet each other in order to have face-to-face communication (9).
Match, EHarmony, plenty of fish, tinder and other websites allow people to interact with each other in a way that is not so formal and not so intense as a face to face encounter which with the boom in social media and internet use is difficult for the average person because they are more than likely lacking communication and public speaking skills. These are helpful for someone shy and some may say shallow, simply because it bears an extreme risk for failure. A show called “catfish” became popular displaying just how destructive trying to meet and establish a relationship over the internet can be. People often put up a façade due to the increasing rate of loneliness and depression that American culture in this internet age causes. People make fake accounts to swindle others out their money and in most cases who people believe is on the other end of the computer is often a completely different person with a completely different
Dating really changed in the few last years and meeting people online became not uncommon or just for young people only. But everyone now can use it to find their dates and meet new people.
In the twenty-first century, we use the internet for almost everything that we do. We use search engines such as Bing or Google to find information. Websites like Netflix and Hulu allow us to watch shows and movies without an expensive cable or satellite subscription. Social networks provide a new way to communicate with friends and family. Entire companies are run through the internet. With gas prices rising every day, it has also become increasingly popular to see a lot of jobs turn to telecommuting. It’s only natural that as other aspects of our lives conform to the internet, that online dating should also begin to be more prevalent in how we form new romantic relationships. Online dating is the new normal, and this is more evident now than ever.