By Christiana Paradis, OVW Program Coordinator
There are many ways that we can meet people and stay in touch through texting, Skype, Instagram, Snapchat and more! In the last few years we’ve seen changes in the ways that the internet has played a prominent role in dating practices. It’s a social norm to meet someone who has tried or is currently using a dating app. In fact, there are 40 million Americans using online dating sites—27% of that population is young adults.
According to Tinder, 70% of college students have never met up with their matches and 45% say they use Tinder mostly for confidence boosting procrastination. In fact, 42% of Tinder users already have a partner (consensual open relationship: cool. Cheating: not cool!)
There are many positives and negatives to online dating. For some people, it’s a great way to communicate. If you’re prone to social anxiety the ability to meet, talk and learn about the other person be- fore meeting in person is incredibly valuable and it eliminates some of that first date awkwardness. Additionally, you meet people you might not normally be exposed to due to social circles or geographic limitations. Finally, more and more people are meeting online and building meaningful, happy, healthy long-term relationships.
That being said, there are some downsides. First, there is never a guarantee that the person is who they say they are when you match with them. No matter how many times you talk or share images online, there is never any guarantee until you meet in person. Secondly, communicating via messaging can create barriers because it can be hard to fully understand someone’s tone or meaning even with the use of emojis. Moreover, sexual racism (sexual preference based on race used to exclude people of specific races) is rampant online. Tinder was found to be the most racially diverse dating app, with 77% of Tinder users claiming to be very open-minded when using dating apps and 74% having gone on a date with someone of a different racial background. We also see instances of discrimination on dating apps based on sexuality, trans/non-binary identity, weight and disability. It’s not surprising that dating apps have been found to lower self-esteem and show an increase in depression. Finally, sexual harassment exists both offline and online, as people receive thousands of unsolicited nudes every day.
If internet dating is your cup of tea, go for it. If it’s not, that’s fine! Dating apps can expand your horizons and create new opportunities to meet people but they should always be used in a way that all parties feel safe and comfortable.
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