Online Dating Research Paper

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To What Degree Does Online Dating Change the Way People Form Relationships?
Social/ Cultural
Rachel Moore
AP Seminar Period 6

Introduction: The use of online dating has tremendously increased in the past decade with 59% of Americans saying it is a good way to meet people, from a 2015 Pew Research Center Survey. Online dating has seen a rise in usage from the LGBT community, a rise in racially diverse relationships, and a steady incline of heterosexual couples. The question remaining is to what degree does online dating change the way people form relationships?

LGBT Relationships: From the beginning of online dating to the present it has been predominantly used by the LGBT community. According to a study done by Michael J. Rosenfeld, …show more content…

According to Allan Berube, an award winning author on his reporting of the LGBT community and the social challenges they have, “The number of same-sex couples who meet through family or through primary or secondary school has never been as high as 5%, but 17% of heterosexual couples met through family in 1985.” This shows the separation between how homosexual couples and heterosexual couples meet. As a result of online dating 70% of gay relationships start online, according to Josue Ortega, an economist set out to examine how online dating affects society.
Counter Argument/Limitation:
Although LGBT relationships are increasing, it isn’t because of online dating it’s because more people are coming out. According to the Nurses Health Study, a cohort of registered female nurses who completed questionnaires every two years for the past two decades, “Those who reported being heterosexual in 1995 were 30% more likely to report being lesbian or bisexual in 2009 if they lived in a state which recognized same-sex relationships, compared to those who lived in states with no recognition.” Showing that because of an acceptance to the LGBT Community, more people are willing to come …show more content…

According to Rosenfeld, “The people who are most likely to use online dating are the middle-aged folks.” This is because they have a thinner dating market compared to younger people, so they are more desperate to find someone to settle down with. Also, more younger, hetersexual are not as serious about finding long term love. According to a study from LendEDU, an online marketplace for students, 44% of students say they use Tinder for a confidence boost and 22% say they use it only for hookups. This shows how younger people are not serious about online dating and settling down. Most heterosexual couples meet through friends. According to a graph from the Washington Post, taken from the Stanford paper The Rise of Internet as Social Intermediary, 30% of heterosexual couples meet through friends. Showing how heterosexuals aren’t as involved in online dating as the LGBT community and interracial daters.
Counter Argument/ Limitation:
While most heterosexual couples meet through friends, on the same graph 20% of heterosexual couples met online. This is showing that there may be an importance in online dating in the future for

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