In this day and age, meeting someone in person is a lot harder than we think. People are busier than ever — our schedules during college and our lives outside of school keep us running from place to place constantly.
Online dating and dating apps have been around for quite some time now and they seem to be a great way to get to know, meet, and date people. It is extremely convenient for busy college students or people with hectic daily schedules. We hear plenty of “dating app” success stories, but how successful are dating apps and online dating? Are they even worth it?
Online dating is definitely somewhat of a more speedy process — instead of going somewhere and by chance meeting someone, you can be on a lunch break and swipe on someone’s profile. “Online dating appears to be a practical way to date for most people. According to the study, roughly 60 percent of participants have had positive experiences with dating platforms. Many people have success finding romantic partners online, whether they’re looking for something casual or long term.” (Mendelsohn) If a high percentage of the people on dating apps are finding what they’re looking for, then why not try it out? It’s practical for busy people and seems to be working for a lot of them.
When on dating apps or sites, you usually match with people who share at least some of your same interests. “Overall, the majority of participants found it relatively easy to meet potentially compatible partners in terms of those they found attractive or with whom they shared hobbies and interests.” (Mendelsohn) When meeting someone in real time, you won’t know how well you and that person necessarily match. But on a dating app you can easily see people with similar interests and hobbies so you know you have things in common, which has the potential to simplify the process overall.
While some sites or apps may be successful, are they worth the hassle to use them? “30% of U.S. adults say they have used a dating site or app. A majority of online daters say their overall experience was positive, but many users – particularly younger women – report being harassed or sent explicit messages on these platforms.” (Anderson) While you have the chance of meeting someone and starting a relationship, as a young woman, is it worth being sent all of those disturbing messages?
While there can be many scary things about online dating and dating apps, there also are many good things that come out of trying online dating. “Dating apps can lead to superficiality and ghosting, there are also many positives. “While online dating has some potential for pitfalls compared to meeting people in real life, the volume of possibilities is much higher,” says Bobby.” (Mendelsohn) The chances that you’ll meet someone that you are actually compatible with online is much higher than in real life. Dating apps have cut the time that getting into a relationship off-line would take by a lot since online relationships typically occur so much faster. I think that if you are being smart about dating online, the rewards may outweigh the risks in many situations.
Citations
Anderson, M., Vogels, E. A., & Turner, E. (2020, October 2). The virtues and downsides of online dating. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/06/the-virtues-and-downsides-of-online-dating/.
Mendelsohn, H. (2021, May 14). Is online dating worth it? Brides. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.brides.com/does-online-dating-work-5112033.