The dating landscape in the 21st century has known tremendous changes as a result of the technological developments that facilitate online dating. Having a larger pool of people from which to pick, singles have become more picky, interracial marriages are emerging and so is the gay dating and homosexual weddings (Brooks, 2011). But these dating trends do not reflect all the changes that online dating has produced to the current society. Online dating’s main outcome is that it made it easier to find love.
Online dating represents a system that allows individuals to search dating partners for sexual or romantic relationships on internet through the use of their computers, laptops or mobile devices (Brooks, 2011). Users have the opportunity to access information on various potential partners, to communicate with them in the virtual environment, and find the best matches that will further lead them to establishing face to face meetings and potentially develop sexual or romantic relationships (Finckel, Eastwick, Karney, Reis & Sprecher, 2012). These facilities provide new approaches to dating, different from the standard dating from individuals that know each other from real life.
First of all, the existence of online dating websites all over the world has gained rapid popularity, being socially accepted as a valid system for finding partners. Solely the fact that people are considering it valid for finding romantic or sexual relationships makes individuals consider a normal behavior to find dating using the internet. Online dating websites made it possible for individuals seeking love to break the barriers of the traditional dating, allowing them to find rapidly potential compatible partners, with similar interests, from close of distant proximity, similar or different cultures, encouraging them to date (Brooks, 2011).
In this way, people with low potential of meeting partners, due to their busy working schedule or because of their shy personality that impede them to ask somebody out in a face to face environment, have the opportunity to go online and find suitable companions (Finckel et al., 2012). More than this, because of the increased complexity of the online dating websites’ evolution, individuals seeking relationship have the opportunity to search partners based on different criteria, such as psychological, physical appearance, lifestyle, social, professional aspects, hobbies and many more (Frazzetto, 2010).
Unlike the traditional dating, which often implies going out at bars, pubs and other public areas for meeting people, which implies considerable spending and no guarantee for finding dates, online dating has a much higher rate of finding date for solely $20-$30 monthly subscription fee (Frazzetto, 2010). This economic aspect is not to be neglected when finding a suitable partner. Moreover, the online dating websites generate algorithms that make it easier for users to find compatible partners through the use of scientific matchmaking methods, an aspect that traditional dating cannot guarantee (Brooks, 2011; Rege, 2009).
The negative aspect regarding online dating websites is that anybody can access them, using a fake or borrowed identity, impersonating other, real or fictive figures that can allure and deceive potential partners (Rege, 2009). The identity fraud and cybercrime are high risks associated with online dating. Such processes occur as unscrupulous individuals are exploiting the sensitivity and openness of users who intend to find online relationships (Rege, 2009). While these risks pose a serious threat on the online daters, an increasing amount of online dating services users are becoming aware of such risks, which makes them more careful (Couch, Liamputtong & Pitts, 2011).
Although the risk of cybercrime are an impediment to finding love, statistics indicate that adults with internet access are more likely to have a partner than to be single and more likely to have an interracial of same sex and different religion companion (Rosenfield & Thomas, 2012). Internet era has changed not only how people meet and commence relationships, but also what people they meet. Internet has allowed for more diversity, breaking up from the traditional matchmakings organized by family, friends, colleagues or co-workers, which were likely to recommend same race, same religion, same culture, different gender, close proximity partner (Rosenfield & Thomas, 2012). Nevertheless, traditional matchmaking continues to exist today, in adversity with the online dating, founding their matching decisions on intuition rather than on scientific algorithms (Finkel et al., 2012). Hence, since the emergence of the internet, when individuals were able to find suitable partners on their own, traditional matchmaking has become less effective and fewer and fewer people get together as a result of this courtship approach (Finkel et al., 2012; Rosenfield & Thomas, 2012).
However, there is still a stigma associated with online dating, associating embarrassment for individuals who use online services for finding partners (Finkel et al., 2012). On the other hand, Brooks (2011) observes that stigma associated with online dating is dissipating, as people become more accustomed with online technologies and sophisticated tools for finding the suitable partners. Furthermore, as Rege (2009) observes, online dating platforms provide confidentiality of the data, allowing the users to autonomously engage in the online dating services. Overcoming the stigma associated with online dating due to the anonymity clause that protects the users or to progressive cultures that considers this service as an outcome of modern society and not as a source of embarrassment, internet dating websites reach new records of subscriptions (Frazzetto, 2009). Websites such as Match.com, eHarmony.com, OkCupid, Lovestruck.com, Speeddate.com, TryCupid.com, myPartner.com are becoming a social trend, especially in the urban, agglomerated regions (Brooks, 2011; Finkel, 2012; Rosenfield & Thomas, 2012). With so many websites available for finding love or sexual partners, individuals have a large pool of people from where they can select their dates, which can lead to the idea that online dating websites are entertainment platforms in addition to their matchmaking role.
In addition to allowing users the opportunity to apply in-depth searches for finding a suitable partner, having a large pool of potential matches from where they can choose, also implies having more options. This rapid emergence of social dating websites allowed individuals to practice sexual liberation or to explore cheating, which are opposite, but can also be complementary to finding love (Brooks, 2011). Sexual liberation and cheating are opposite to love because individuals can use online dating platforms for having simultaneous relationships with more people, which does not encourage love, but a depraved behavior (Finkel et al., 2012). Nevertheless, even such indecent and lustful behaviors can lead to finding love, more than it would be the case with no dating at all.
On the other hand, as Brooks (2012) further observes, online dating as a social trend has brought back the vowing through writing and the usage of fine words to attract partners. This aspect facilitates. In addition to this romantic side of internet based relationships, online dating websites is emerging towards becoming a scientific tool for finding love and emotional compatibility by using technologies that read genomes and profile brain activities (Frazzetto, 2009). While such prospect currently seems worthy of a science fiction script, online dating still facilitates courtship and provides individuals who never met before in a physical context to interact, advancing the chances for developing relationships.
Brown (2011) notes that online dating is accountable for the marriage of 1 in 6 people in America and this figure is predicted to continue growing. Another interesting finding regarding the effect of the online dating websites on the society is that the rate of homosexual couples has increased as a result of internet dating (Rosenfeld & Thomas, 2011). Finkel et al. (2012) find that love can happen anywhere, but the internet dating websites are there to support the changing social behavior, and although this type of dating is still incipient, it shows prospects for becoming a matchmaking option for everybody.
Finding love has been one of humans’ main interests since forever and across time the modalities utilized for finding suitable partners have recognized little evolution. The 21st century generated a real revolution in this sense, as the rapid development of technology has facilitated the appearance and rapid widespread of online dating websites. This modern dating system has changed the traditional pattern of dating, being more affordable, more convenient, more accurate and more flexible than the traditional dating methods. Although there are still risks associated with online dating websites, such as identity theft, cybercrime or cheating, this dating system has a high potential for tying real relationships and matching partners in marriage. Online dating allows interaction with diverse partners, which encourages the globalization of love, increasing the chances of finding love. While traditional matchmakers still exist and individuals continue to find love in the physical world much as they did before the advent of internet (especially heterosexuals), online dating helps people find love. With solely a monthly subscription to a dating website, users who are too shy or too busy to find suitable partners due to their working schedule are able to find suitable partners, through matchmakings generated by scientific algorithms. Online dating has made it easier to find love and will continue growing, so that more people will find their partners online.
References
Brooks, M. (2011) How has internet dating changed society? Courtland Brooks.
Couch, D. Liamputtong, P. & Pitts, M. (2011) Online daters and the use of technology for surveillance and risk management. International Journal and the use of Technology for Surveillance and Risk Management. 9(2): 116-134.
Finkel, E.J., Eastwick, P.W., Karney, B.R., Reis, H.T. & Sprecher, S. (2012) Online dating: A critical analysis from the perspective of psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 13(1): 3-6.
Frazzetto, G. (2010) The science of online dating. EMBO Reports. 11(1): 25-27.
Rege, A. (2009) What’s love got to do with it? Exploring online dating scams and identity fraud. International Journal of Cyber Criminology. 3(2): 494-512.
Rosenfeld, M.J. & Thomas, R.J. (2012) Searching for a mate: The rise of the internet as a social intermediary. American Sociological Review. 77(4): 523-547.
