The traditional way of dating we are all used to is getting to know an individual in person, except there has been a drastic change in dating over the past years. There are now new ways of finding a potential partner including dating apps and websites online. While both online dating and real-life relations help us find our ideal partner, the traditional way of meeting in person is the best choice.
When it comes to online dating, people tend to judge others based on their looks. For example, a dating site like tinder shares little information about its users and gives the option of swiping right if they see other users as potential partners or left if they are uninterested. This is why most online relationships are bound to fail. Compatibility is a huge factor in a relationship; therefore, there is a need to know how much you can relate to a potential partner. However, these apps do not provide enough information for its users, whereas in real life people can meet in person and bond over similar interests.
Real life relations is also a better way of determining if you have chemistry with someone right away. Once you meet up with someone, you are able to determine if there’s an emotional connection in between you two and decide if you want to continue the relationship. According to Thottam, “computer-mediated communication may have an artificial and unemotional quality since it can be harder to evaluate a potential match online where you cannot pick up on cues and features that build attraction, like touching.”
It is every couple’s wish to be together or physically in touch. There is a high chance of losing interest in a relationship when you are away from your partner. Therefore spending quality time together with your partner will help to strengthen the bond between you two. There are a lot of basic things a couple can do together in person compared to an online couple. For example, go on a picnic, exercise together, binge watch movies and shows together, cook together, go to a concert and even have sexual intercourse which online couples obviously can not do together.
Unlike online dating, dating in person is a helpful way of knowing who the person genuinely is. It is easier for people to create a whole new identity on social media. People tend to lie about their age, height, weight,interests, careers and income, but when in person they find it harder to lie about themselves. Studies have shown that 40% of men have lied about their income and 20% of women have used a picture from a younger age online(Matthews 2018).
Online dating can also be a very dangerous way of meeting new people. Since it is very easy for people to lie about who they are, it is hard to notice red flags. For example, in 2018 a man named Daniel Drayton was arrested for the murder of a woman in Queens, New York. The NYPD, later on, reported that he had a history of holding other women captive and sexually assaulting them. . In addition he used online dating websites to track down his victims (Andone & Maldonado 2018). This is why it is always a better choice to meet up in person at a public place. Aside from that, there are also manipulative people online like scammers, who use it as an opportunity to start a relationship with others and eventually convince them to send them large amounts of money.
Furthermore, online dating websites such as tinder have contributed to the outbreak of STDs. Most of the dating websites are infamous for casual hookups. Some people use dating sites to find a partner, some use it just for sexual relations, and others use it with the intent of spreading diseases. Though it is very rare to find a person with such intentions, it is very easy for just one person to transfer a disease to thousands of people. The simplicity of finding someone online and hooking up with them without knowing if they have an STD is very dangerous and concerning.
For busy people, online dating may be a more convenient way of meeting a partner, but finding the right partner requires patience and a lot of time.Some people feel the need to rush into relationships with complete strangers they meet through dating websites, which is a wrong thing to do. There are people on these sites that are willing to take advantage of others for their benefit and this why real-life relations will always be a safer and better choice due to how dangerous online can be.
Works Cited
- “Tinder (App).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinder_(app).
- Thottam, Isabel. “The Top Pros & Cons of Online Dating.” EHarmony,www.eharmony.com/pros-cons-online-dating/.
- Matthews, Hayley. “27 Online Dating Statistics & What They Mean for the Future of Dating – [Dating News].” DatingNews.com, DatingNews.com, 15 June 2018, www.datingnews.com/industry-trends/online-dating-statistics-what-they-mean-for-future/.
- Andone, Dakin, and Samantha Maldonado. “Suspect in Murder and Rape Cases Used Dating Websites to Find Victims, Police Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 30 July 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/07/29/us/danueal-drayton-dating-websites-new-york-california/index.html.
