Abstract
Finding a partner has never been easy and often the process is uncertain, frustrating and can be lonely. Human beings are social beings, and we feel nice when we are loved or treasured by our significant other. This explains why most people are ready to go to any length to get a partner, a soul mate or a lover. The new technology has brought new changes in the world and one of the areas where the internet has brought a revolutionary change is the dating scene. People are now moving to the internet to find soul mates and life partners. Online dating is a personal introductory kind of a system where individuals find and contact one another over the internet to arrange a meeting or a date for that matter with the intention of developing a romantic, personal or sexual relationship. On the other hand, traditional dating involves meeting a person face to face for the first time and later developing the relationship by either meeting out for dinner or having fun together. Internet dating is slowly replacing traditional dating however traditional dating is still common, and many couples practice it.
A lot of people are “e-dating” with hope of finding that perfect individual who they can spend some time with or settle down with. Online dating just like traditional dating has its advantages and disadvantages, but scholars argue that it has a lot of advantages than the traditional dating. It has the advantage to the people who may be uncomfortable meeting new people physically for the first time or who are new to the area. This process can be done from the comfort of an individual’s room and it is also convenient for those who have other responsibilities such as tight work schedules, travelling or other commitments in life that make going out to social places impossible.
The internet has provided services that try to make the process of finding love as painless as possible, the dating services has chat rooms that individuals can get to know the other person without having the need to exchange contacts or photos. As the friendship grows, the two people can go forward and exchange contacts or plan to meet.
Traditional dating can be a bit challenging since it most of the time involves striking a conversation with a stranger who may choose to ignore you. This can be awkward since it also requires frequent visits to the social places in an effort to find someone. The modern living has seen a reduction in the time we have to socialize since most of the time people are working or engaging into other business activities, these have put traditional dating at a disadvantage. In online dating, an individual has the comfort of browsing profiles of potential partners without the need to meet them physical. This enables him or her to narrow down to what he or she is looking for. However, the experience of meeting someone online may be impersonal and thrilling as compared to the excitement and the instant attraction of meeting someone for the first time in the traditional dating.
Online dating usually provides an individual’s profile which includes a person’s photo, career aspirations, favorite movies and other basic information. The information often provided makes the process of starting a conversion less challenging since an individual knows some a bit of information about that person. On the other hand, traditional dating goes step by step that preserves an element of mystery that creates excitement as the two individuals goes on to know one another in the future.
In traditional dating, there are rarely logistical issues since the individuals meet face to face as compared to the online dating which due to the increased scope. An individual may be dating another person living in another country, and it may be difficult to meet due to the travel concerns. When engaging in the traditional dating, a person is well aware of who they are dealing with which eliminates the chances of an individual lying about who they are or exaggerating their personal traits. In online dating, fake dates may exaggerate their history or personal attributes with an attempt to lure unsuspecting daters. This has been an issue in the recent years when date particularly teenager’s meet unscrupulous dates online and are lured into social evils without their consent. Traditional dating gives an individual the chance to ask friends and family more information about the other person before accepting to go out with them. This is not possible with the online kind of dating.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both online and traditional dating provides an opportunity for individual to meet that perfect someone, while online dating has recently been preferred due to our modern busy life, it has also its pitfalls that an individual needs to consider before engaging him or herself in it.Traditional dating also provides some aspects that are quite interesting even if it is being considered as outdated by many people; the individual has the choice to decide the best method suitable for them.
References
Colmer, R. S., & Thomas, T. M. (2005). The senior's guide to dating (again): Traditional and
online. Chelsea, Mich: Eklektika Press.
Elisar, S. (2007). Everyone's Guide to Online Dating: How to Find Love and Friendship on the
Internet. Oxford: How To Books.
