Digital forms of communication have taken over and are drastically reshaping the ways in which the world communicates. Today, friendships, casual get-togethers, meetings and romance are developed by information found on the internet. Millions of websites, social networking sites, games and apps influence the way in which individuals relate, and how people interact. One of the ways the effect is evident is seen in online dating. Today, hundreds of websites cater to the dating needs of men and women of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and range of interests. This unique form of digital culture seems to have dramatically influenced the human experience. This paper will explore the beginning of the trend, how digital data makes this possible, the types of sites available, target communities, social networking and Apps, technology ,and ways in which the trend will affect the future.
- The Beginning
Online dating can be traced to the first years of the internet. As early as the 1990s, men and women began finding each other online. Today, literally millions of adult singles use the internet to expand their social circle, make friends, date, and form committed relationships. Many matches even result in marriage. Major sites such as eHarmony, Spark.com, Match, and AsianDate target specific groups of people, offering them opportunities to meet each other, form bonds, and in many cases, fall in love. It is estimated that millions of individuals communicate via online dating services every day. In recent years, an increasing number of single adults are looking to these sites to meet other singles, so many that an estimated one in five relationships was formed via the net (Scientific America, 2012). As digital communication continues to take over, there is no longer a stigma attached to online dating. As more individuals find it difficult to engage in social settings offline, men and women are turning to digital communication to create bonds. The real advantage is, as computer technology advances, digital data has been streamlined to make this online experience more realistic and personal than ever.
- Digital Data
Digit images have never been more realistic and flexible than they are today. The early sites used standard narrative profiles and blurry images (at best). Today, many sites use sophisticated CamShare systems that allow members to communicate in real-time. Most sites require members to post at least one recent photo that complies with specific parameters. Many sites include extensive galleries. Members can sort through images quickly and easily in order to find specific characteristics that match their interests. The most elaborate websites on the web load up quickly. They provide systematic procedures for creating personal profiles, include customer service support, narrow the matches (based on surveys and tests designed to streamline the matchmaking process), and even help orchestrate social gatherings in real world settings. The variety of dating sites online is increasing almost on a daily basis. There are countless options, many with millions of members portrayed by high-quality images and interactive videos.
- The Sites
One of the largest dating sites on the internet started out in a small West LA condominium in the mid-1990s. Since then, the Spark Community has grown into one of the largest online dating sites in the world. Initially the site was called JDate (Spark.com, 2014) and served a relatively small community of Jewish singles who were looking for matches. What started out as a garage-style enterprise has rapidly grown into one of the largest international online dating sites. Today, they have approximately thirty niche sites that serve a variety of age, socio-economic, cultural, religious and regional groups. They even have groups designed for older adults, SilverSingles and gay communities.
What is unique about sites such as Spark.com is that they provide special services. An example of this is a colour-coding feature that helps subscribers narrow search parameters. The color-code assessment asks members to answer a variety of open-ended questions. Their response is analyzed and the database provides a set of possible connections. Many sites, like Spark, will allow members to interact free of charge. They can exchange emails and get to know each other through free memberships. However, as is the case with most sites, special features cost. While some sites have a flat monthly rate for posting profiles, others charge for individual services.
- Target Communities
The Spark Community is just one example of a dating site that caters to a variety of niche groups. International sites, such Chnlove.com (Chnlove.com, 2014) and Charmingdate.com (Charmingdate.com, 2014) are designed for international communities. ChnLove, for example, is geared toward adult men. The purpose of the site is to help men (primarily from the West), meet women from the East for dating, long-term relationships, and marriage. These two sites use credit system, and men can join free. However, when it comes to meeting with the women, they must use a credit card, or a Bank Transfer, to purchase “Cupid credits”. These credits are then exchanged for online chats, email conversations, three-party translation services, and video viewing. Furthermore, men can buy flowers and gifts for their woman friends. Sites of this type usually state that all of the women are carefully screened by agencies within the Eastern countries where the women live. However, many other sites proclaim that these sites are SCAMS. One site, Asiandate.com has been accused of falsely representing the female members within the site. These sites fall under the category of Mail Order Brides. A practice that has existed for decades (even centuries) has taken on an all-new form in the digital age.
Other sites, such as SilverSingles (Silversingles.com, 2014) are geared toward specific age groups. This site is unique in that most members are over the age of 50. The site includes several activities. For example, they post a weekly question and responses are posted to a message board for all members to view. In this niche, location, hobbies and special interests are emphasized. Sites such as this make dating easy and accessible for individuals within age groups that have traditionally found it difficult to meet other adults with similar backgrounds, lifestyles, and needs.
Other sites cater to young adults, Christian singles, black singles, people who are gay, have special needs, and to those who are simply looking for friends. Online dating provides services for a great variety of ethnic, religious, geographic and special interests. It is very easy to understand why online dating is a digital form of communication that has opened up countless opportunities for relationships in the areas of leisure, romance, even work related interactions, all shaped by relationships that have developed on the internet.
- Social Networking and Apps
Within the last few years, social networking platforms and Dating Apps have increased and strengthened digital dating opportunities. Facebook started out as a means for connecting friends and sharing bits of information and photos. Sites such as Classmates.Com, Buzznet, Flickr and Google+ are just a few examples of social sites that are tailored to special interest groups. Many of these have followed in the footsteps of Facebook. Facebook, in an attempt to pick up the pace has continued to integrate a variety of networking options into the site. Group pages are available for special population segments. Dating sites have jumped onboard. Most of the top matchmaking sites have positioned themselves on these social networking sites. Many websites have positioned their brands on as many social sites as possible. Take LinkedIn as another example. Locating details and information within these platforms just keeps getting easier. Additionally, along with the development of hundreds of new apps each day, the social dating sites have found a new way of extending services to members via digital networks. Once again, most of the major sites have their own virtual application, or they can be found in sites that feature a variety of dating scene apps.
- The Future
The future looks bright for online dating and for subscribers. The younger generation, although they may not have started dating yet, is growing up in a digital age. Many children learn how to navigate the web even before they begin to talk. Children with ages in the single digits own handheld mobile technology such as iPhones, iPod and Android devices. They are introduced to the dating scene through games designed for children with adult themes. Passionate encounters in fairytale formats, and console games, depict young men and women interacting in romantic, even suggestive encounters. Many have parents who have met each other online, and exemplify the advantages of digital dating.
Advertisements focus on social networking, dating, and relationships of all types. The media uses digital formats as a way of communicating to people around the world, in all demographic groups. The fact is, children are growing up in a digital age. Texting has taken over as a preferred way to communicate, and experience only serves to underline the many advantages found through social networking.
- Technology – Reshaping Online Dating
Social networking and a variety of apps enhances the experience using graphic art and improved technology. Innovations that were once considered novel have become passé. While users await the latest devices, they have come to expect the very best. Privacy issues have become a top concern, and the digital world strives to keep up with security demands and requirements, particularly in the arena of online dating, where the sharing of personal details is precisely that personal!
While the internet was once a luxury, it has become a way of life. Applications and use factor into every area of life, from playing online games, to searching for recipes, to finding the best price on airfare, and to meeting the love of a lifetime. Websites such as Microsoft Digital Trends (Microsoft, 2014), continue to look at the latest trends within consumer groups, in an effort to improve connections.
These relationships spill over into the very real world of human relationships, as individuals seek to update and improve every area of their lives, including romance. Developing art, designing graphics and architectural structures, nothing is outside of this scope. Digital trends are taking over and they are continuously in flux because of the changing needs of consumers.
Brick and mortar businesses, such as real estate offices, have given way to the latest innovations in online entrepreneurial start-ups. Travel agencies have gone virtual, food, clothes and goods can be purchased online. Trading occurs between corporations and global banks at breakneck speeds. Instead of slowing down, life continues to speed up. Finding one’s mate is a part of that process, in a widely accepted and, often, an international pursuit.
- Conclusion
Relationships that were often formed and developed at the corner café, or in that back corner of the local library, are developing in the comfort of the home and while on the go, with the help of digital applications. Friendships and romantic involvements are shaped by technology that has taken on a digital form. New websites, social networks, apps, and games reflect the changing needs and demands of a planet that revolves around the use of technology. Not only has the use of the internet taken over every aspect of life, it has become a foregone conclusion.
It is very easy to see in every arena that commerce, industry, and relationships revolve around digital devices and advancements.
Clearly, online dating falls into a diverse set of options. The dating requirements of most men and women occur or, at least, blossom on the net. The websites, social networks, forums, and applications provide a vivid array of options. In addition, the opportunities continue to grow. We are truly living in the space age. Conversations between individuals who cannot even speak the same language are occurring every second of the day, facilitated by three-way communication and online translations. While dating has occurred around the world, throughout the generations, today the process is expedited by a digital culture that has dramatically transformed the human experience, forever.
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