Digital Love: Keeping Cupid Busy in the Age of Online Romance
You may be young and single or find yourself later in life ready to mingle. You may have a niche or a type or you may have an open mind. No matter what you’re looking for, there is surely a website or app that has your type of romance.
From Grindr serving the gay community to Tinder being an almost classic choice for hipsters looking to hook up, dating apps are here to stay. Throw in some of the best dating sites and you have a plethora of options in the romance buffet.
Looking for Love, One Swipe at a Time
Can happiness truly be found online? With the advancement of gadgets and tech for every area of our lives, from smartphones to self-driving cars, we can safely say we are living in an amazing time. We are pampered by technology and engage with it constantly. It has shifted everything in our lives.
Some of us are just too busy in our lives to make time to go out and meet people. Swiping right on the best dating sites while lying in bed in your PJs qualifies as a way of putting yourself “out there.” For young professionals commuting and working all day, it can be the first step to setting up drinks on a Friday night.
The pursuit of love has changed, since the onset of the digital age, to a spectator sport. With all these choices and all this disconnection, has commitment gone wry of the rotary phone due to the digitalization of love?
Meet and Greet
As we find ourselves often “meeting” people first via online dating profiles, we are becoming a more visual dating culture. It can keep us from discovering the spark of a hidden gem. Some folks just don’t photograph well but drip charisma in person. They suffer in the online dating environment.
On the other hand, new research suggests that couples who meet online via dating sites and apps are slightly more likely to remain together than couples who meet in real life. It seems that having basic personality information at the outset helps us find the mate we are really looking for.
Of course, as you ponder the possibilities, you must remember to put yourself out there in a way that gives your ideal partner an idea of who you are but doesn’t reveal too much personal information in the process.
Among the advantages of starting online, each potential partner can learn about the other more quickly. Rather than awkward silences in person, the conversation can keep flowing and fill that space. Many people who are slow to open up in real life feel no such shyness via the internet. In that way, online dating can be a boon and a haven for the chronically shy and socially uncertain.
Sometimes it’s difficult to build from an online start to a deeper commitment. The longer you remain only involved over the internet or text, the harder it is to break away from that pattern. In fact, you can almost enter a cocoon of online fantasy, a sort of virtual relationship. Getting to phone calls (almost passé in our current communication climate) and a face-to-face meeting is key to really pushing forward. If the distance is part of what keeps a relationship primarily online, it is its own challenge to surmount.
New Perspectives
Havas Worldwide’s annual study gives more insight into the ways technology is reshaping romance. According to their findings, Millennials consider the online romance as solid as IRL (in real life) flirtations and relationships. Beyond that, most of those asked (60%) think of online dating as a mainstream choice.
In addition, the internet possesses a dark side to romance. When asked if they know anyone who broke up in an offline relationship due to online infidelity, one in four answered ‘yes’. 68% of the millennials queried think that offerings online decrease the expectation of loyalty between lovers.
Even if you don’t meet initially online, you can certainly Google your new love interest to discover their likes and dislikes, though that can lead to unfortunate information reveals. With all the drawbacks, it’s worth considering if online dating is worth the trouble.
Has the digital age really damaged relationships? Not necessarily. Has it changed the dating scene and even what dating really means? Very likely. Is it worth pursuing love online? That’s a personal choice, of course. Just keep in mind that a relationship that starts online and moves offline can be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
