Looking for Love in the Twenty First Century: Online Dating

1814 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: positive and negative effects of online dating

Online dating has become a hot trend in today’s society with numbers of sites and memberships growing everyday. “First, individuals do no have to leave their homes or workplaces to date… Second, the anonymity feature of the internet allows individuals to participate privately in dating without the oversight of others or the fear of stigma. Third, interactive online dating allows customers to experience new forms of interaction… Fourth, online dating sites serve up ‘perfect matches’ quickly,” (Rege 494). What is online dating? “Online dating sites are Internet tools designed to facilitate ‘connections’ between users who are seeking romantic and/or sexual partners,” (Fullick 546). Dating networks have always existed, even before the Internet, but the Internet has allowed this network to grow rapidly. The struggle with the Internet and online dating is anonymity and depicting an identity online. To further my research, I will look at multiple sources and studies to discuss the complexities of online dating.
“The first major Internet dating Web site is widely held to be the combination of kiss.com and match.com, which were both registered by the same person in 1994 and 1995 respectively,” (Azad et al. 2). During this period, most dating sites focused on international dating and ‘mail order bride’ services. In 1996, Yahoo! had 16 dating websites listed, such as friendfinder.com and OneandOnly.com. In 1998, the movie “You’ve Got Mail” started changing peoples minds about meeting someone on the web and “showcased the Web as a tool for bringing people together,” (Azad et al. 2).
One of the challenges online dating sites faced was in 2002 when Friendster and Myspace were launched. This was a challenge because “people could meet potenti...

... middle of paper ...

...iamson. “Dispositional factors predicting use of online dating sites and behaviors related to online dating,” Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 33, April 2014, Pages 113-118, ISSN 0747-5632, .

Manning, Jimmie. “Online Dating.” Encyclopedia of Gender and Society. Ed. Jodi O'Brien. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. 623-24. SAGE knowledge. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

Rege, Aunshu;. "International Journal of Cyber Criminology-Aunshul Rege - December 2009." International Journal of Cyber Criminology-Aunshul Rege - December 2009. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. .

Whitty, Monica T., Baker, Andrea J. Inman,James A. Online Matchmaking. Ed. edited by Monica T. Whitty, Andrea J. Baker,and James A.Inman. New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, 2007. Web.

Show More
Related

  • The Role Of Women In Tinder And The Dawn Of The Dating Apocalypse?

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    People in society today can find potential sex partners in a heartbeat. In Nancy Jo Sales’ article “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse,’” she talks about how powerful the Internet and dating applications can be in helping one find potential partners. Jo Sales argues that dating applications and the Internet are not generally used for dating, but they are used for finding instant sex partners that lead to one-night stands. Short-term relationships are increasing due to the Internet and applications and will continue to increase in the future. Scholars have argued that sexual activity has tremendously increased, moving from traditional dating to a new style of dating called hookups. Also, research indicates numerous examples

    Read More

  • Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Annotated Bibliography

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    This article presents the deceptions of online dating through the users profiles through self-presentation, emotions and trustworthiness.

    Read More

  • Modern Romance Aziz Ansari Summary

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    For millennials, those two factors combine into one experience. Because of technological advances, Ansari points out how single people are flooded with options now compared to people dating decades ago. Not only can people find one another more easily, but there are multiple modes for communication, not to mention algorithms designed to help online users find the people who are most likely to make a mutually beneficial match. But Ansari identifies a problem despite these technological advances in the world of romantic advances: Single people are frustrated.

    Read More

  • The Basics of Online Dating

    1681 Words  | 4 Pages

    Love has been around since the beginning of time and for as long as romantic relationships have been around; people have tried various ways of meeting one another. The mid-1990s marked the start of online dating and since then has evolved into a much more common method of dating. Online dating is typically taken advantage of in one of two ways. Some people prefer to create their own profile and rely on themselves to choose their mate choice, while others allow the online dating services to create matches between the online subscribers. In a recent study conducted by Pew Research Center they found that one in ten American’s are using an online dating site to help them locate a spouse or a long term partner (Smith 1). Due to the advances in technology in recent years, online dating has developed into a resource that has become culturally accepted and has advanced in many ways, but with that comes mate choice, safety concerns, and the outlook on online dating.

    Read More

  • Marketing And Online Dating

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Picking the best market audience is very important to online dating sites. Sites such as eHarmony.com and Chemistry.com market to the 35 and up group where Match.com tends to focus on the younger, Myspace generation of daters. These audiences play a very important part when analyzing marketing techniques because each audience appeals to a different form of marketing. An older generation does not look for as flashy or trendy of a page design where a younger generation may be bored without the coolest tricks. Chemistry.com has stepped out of the box with new ideas that really appeal to the youth. They have developed a "First Date Planning" module that will help newly met daters plan the first date. Even though it takes a simple approach of meeting at a coffee shop or local café, it breaks the ice for both parties. After the first date, the subscriber has the option to go in and input feedback and details about the date. This data is a reference only for the subscriber and is used to determine what the subscriber really is looking for in a partner. After filling out the personal notes, it allows the subscriber to send a message back to the person to let them know if her or she would like to continue dating or not.

    Read More

  • Evolution of Online Dating: A Personal Perspective

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    When thinking back on my past experiences in the dating scene, it’s crazy to see how much things have changed over the years. About ten years ago, I would have never thought that online dating would have grown to be as popular as it is today. It was considered a risky and almost taboo thing to do in the beginning. Now it seems that online dating services are just about everywhere. From the bigger dating services providers, such as E-Harmony and Zoosk, to the smaller services such as online personal classifieds, social media, and phone apps, it’s easier than ever to find and meet people who are interested in dating. I have dated online myself, even in the beginning stages of the online dating scene, and have had both good and bad experiences.

    Read More

  • Dan Slater A Million First Date

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Technology Isn’t Ruining Modern Dating--Humans are” (New Statesman Network, August 7, 2015), Barbara Speed argues the success of online dating websites did not cause people to pursue hook-up culture, but instead the culture influenced companies to cater the needs of already interested people. Essentially, Speed characterizes online dating as a business. If people did not want such a fast paced dating world they wouldn't download the apps to find so-called lovers. Personally, I have never tried online dating myself; therefore, never put myself in a situation where I was judged romantically in a matter of seconds behind a screen. Additionally, people no longer want to spend too much of their time and effort with a person when they can go on their phones and talk to someone with similar intentions in a matter of hours. For instance, Slater’s case study, Jacob, right after he was dumped by a long term girlfriend, he instantly revisited his old dating profile and quickly started seeing girl after girl. However, he has a history of being a passive, negotiator, and low striving guy looking for a girl to fill a void in his life. Hence, Slater fails to mention that people are responsible for their own actions on dating websites regardless of receiving encouraging notifications from old

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Elizabeth Kantor's Love Internet Style

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    Brooks’ history of publication in widely known periodicals (like the New York Times (221)) and insightful, yet logical, writing style give validity to his essay; as, for example, when he describes how online dating “is bound to accelerate social stratification, as highly educated people become more efficient at finding and marrying one another” (221).

    Read More

  • Essay On Dating

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is another reason people are gravitating towards using apps like Tinder or websites where an individual can select their own partner, similar enough to how we order out. We make selections on what appeals to our eyes and since society gives us options, we embrace them. Similar to how we grocery shop, we choose the brand that best suits our needs and our customers. This is how we are selecting our soul mate. When surveying Americans about their use of online dating websites or apps to meet people, the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project found an increase in the use of these tech-savvy websites since 2005 when they first took tallies.

    Read More

  • Gender Differences In Dating Essay

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ancient ritual of courtship allowed both genders to seek partnership, but as social norms changed dating became more common among young people. Romantic engagements have almost always been a part of society, but they have also been a source of sorrow. Some want to blame dating sites for the actions of human beings, but even with that factor removed people would still exhibit unethical behavior. The chances of finding a stable partner depend on the general intentions of the population, but society has developed more efficient ways of finding a partner whom does want to settle down. While less romantic than meeting in a bookstore or university, people resort to online dating not only for convenience but for accuracy/ efficiency. Necessary

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Online Dating

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dating, the starting point where two individuals look forward to a romance. Romance is the second stage where love begins, which will eventually lead to a marriage. The question is, where can it start? People are often looking for someone to date, but where they begin has many options. Online dating is one of many choices that allow us as people to experience one thing that many desire, a shot at love. As a Aziz Ansari, author of the book Modern Romance, points out, you can meet someone through a friend, or a family member, or even through work or church(pg 81). They’re all great options, but the one that is the most efficient is through online. Many people are constantly meeting through online websites such as, Match.com, Cupid.com, Christianmingle.com, and many more considering that there are millions of people meeting everyday. Online dating first started out as ads on newspapers which allowed people to tell other civilians a little about themselves as a person along with a contact number. This later on became more advanced and slowly began to become what we now know as online dating. online dating has made a mark as to how we date, and it has improved it for the better.

    Read More

  • Negative Aspects of Online Dating

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Online Dating Vs Traditional Dating

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    Online dating offers chances to people who feel more comfortable behind a screen rather than getting so nervous in front of a person that they are unable to speak. It allows them to interact with someone whom they would be uneasy to speak with in real life. Moreover, in traditional dating first impressions truly matter while online, people have chosen the best for their dating profiles. “People were ready to admit that going on actual "dates" was full of pressure and not very enjoyable. Traditional dating, they pointed out, encouraged an overly formal, inauthentic vibe that ultimately hindered instead of helped their efforts to make romantic connections” (Massa). Many do feel shy to ask the person they are interested in on an official date as they are not actually sure what the other person feels and needs more than the opinion of friends to take a step while asking someone online relieves that stress as the possibility of seeing that person in real life is low along with it messing with the asker’s personal life if it is a

    Read More

  • Traditional and Internet Dating

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Internet changing everything from the way we shop to the way we find driving directions. Cyberspace has become the hottest pick-up jo...

    Read More

  • Online Datingting: How To Stay Safe With Online Dating

    3343 Words  | 7 Pages

    In recent years, online dating has become very popular with 1-in-5 Americans aged 25-34 years old using one or more of the many popular dating sites and apps, such as match.com, OkCupid, and PlentyOfFish. With the stigma of online dating gone, it’s turned out to be a great way to date, have fun, and potentially fall in love.

    Read More

More about Looking for Love in the Twenty First Century: Online Dating

Open Document