In lab we have been discussing the concept of online dating. Online dating is where people meet online and build a relationship through a form of computer mediated communication such as email. In class we learned that people who have a greater involvement in CMC will be far more likely to date online.
There are many benefits to online dating. For example, if you are communicating with a person of interest through the internet, you are more likely to base this relationship off of your shared interests rather than appearance. People are able to fully express themselves without feeling uncomfortable, shy, or embarrassed. People that use online dating are also able to limit the amount of personal information that they reveal at one time. They can slowly share more personal details about themselves to the person that they are communicating with. There is a lot of control that comes with online dating in the sense that you can give off an impression of yourself that has been monitored or changed prior to sharing with others.
Although many people prefer online interaction to face-to-face interaction with a significant other, there are still many downsides to this method of dating. In class we learned that people who are more trusting, are less likely to date online. I found this to be interesting because if online dating is becoming more and more common, why is it that people who exhibit more trust, do not trust this form of dating. I would consider myself to be one of these people. For me, online dating leaves too many important factors of a person to the imagination. I think that I would personally feel uncomfortable forming a close bond to someone that I couldn't say I had ever physically seen in person. The chance that that person is completely different from who they have said they are in an online profile is too high in my opinion. While I think that it is beneficial to avoid judging a person initially based on their physical appearance, I also think that it can be dangerous not to meet this person face to face before communication becomes more personal.
If you feel as if you have formed a close relationship through the internet, then you may grow more comfortable revealing personal information about yourself that you only would to a close friend or loved one. In doing this, you are risking revealing too much of yourself to someone who doesn't necessarily deserve to know that information. I think that if you are going to meet someone online and talk to them, then you should be taking precautions from the start in order to avoid a "catfish" situation. For example, if you meet a person online and they are completely reluctant to video chatting with you, then maybe that is a red flag that this person has something to hide. Although they may not be hiding significant details about themselves, I still think it is important that when forming a new relationship with someone you have complete open, honest discussion about who you are as a person. In my opinion, if a person is willing to lie about who they are online, then maybe this is a warning sign that they are not someone that could be trusted in a more intimate relationship.
Although there are many risks to putting yourself out there in the online dating world, it is still becoming a common method of getting acquainted with new people. I have several friends who have met people on dating apps such as Tinder and eventually ended up meeting these people in person. Some of these relationships worked out and have progressed into more intimate bonds, while others ended up being a complete failure. If you are going to try online dating I think you must be fully aware of the potential situations that you could encounter. It is important not to 100% rely on everything that someone tells you from behind the privacy of their computer screen. Online dating can be a great way to meet people if you avoid forming intimate attachments prior to meeting the person face to face. Anyone I know that has talked to someone online has met up with this person soon after their initial meeting, in order to avoid falling for someone before they know everything about them.
I think as more and more online dating websites and apps become available to the public, the more common it will become for people to form their relationships online. People rely on CMC for many other aspects of their lives such as researching information or communicating and keeping in touch with friends. Online dating makes it easier for people who aren't constantly surrounded by single people their age to meet someone and form a relationship with them. I think online dating can be extremely helpful in finding a person's match but needs to handled with caution.
Meaghan Auchincloss
CAS 283 Section 002
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