Everyone wants a little eLove
Step up to the plate and admit it: you're scared of dating. Its okay, the first step is admitting you have a problem. Luckily for you, the second step is the Internet. There's no need to deny the truth any longer, fellow college-aged dating wannabes, the Internet is our future. From email to instant messaging to Facebook, our generation is continually moving online to solve our social and romantic desires.
Take a quick jump back to the turn of the millennium, when flipping on 20/20 or Nightline inevitably resulted in a feature-story on the new trend of "online dating." Couples were talking on this newfangled Internet and getting married. Lions, tigers and modems, oh my! As the older generations—and even our own—began rejecting the concept, millions of others embraced it. Online dating was denounced, declared proof that our society has lost all sense of moral balance and social responsibility.
Fast-forward to 2006 and the picture is drastically different. Lunch dates, blind dating and power-dates (think 40 Year Old Virgin: a dozen dates over your lunch break) have almost disappeared in favor of the Internet. Dating sites, such as eHarmony and Match.com have established themselves as the leaders, luring millions into their subscription-based profiling systems, promising to find their clients Mr. or Mrs. Right.
Dr. Neil Clark Warren, founder and spokesman of eHarmony, expounds on his "29 Dimensions of Compatibility," claiming to match people based on their self-described personality traits, quirks and desires. Unlike other dating services, which leave the matching and decided up to individual members, eHarmony attempts to bridge the gap for potential romantic partners. Other services provide the basics: a quick photo and description, a few interests or hobbies, and payment processing in case you want to meet Ms. Anonymous.
Inevitably, there must be a problem. Online dating has proven to work for many, resulting in numerous "successful" marriages. Throughout the world, countless individuals find themselves talking to, meeting and falling in love with their digital counterparts. Despite such success, critics stick to their guns, posing a strong, difficult question: can you actually know somebody through text and photos?
The detractors of online dating cry foul, claiming that face-to-face, personal communication is necessary to know the "inner-self" of their partner. Studies are, as of yet, inconclusive, but one study claims that internet dating provides at least some noticeable differences when compared to traditional methods. Peter Holme of Stockholm University, after studying the data from over 30,000 users, proposes that internet dating leads to a more diverse selection of interests. Traditional dating, he says, finds people meeting and gaining interest in those similar to themselves; online, users are less selective, possibly feeling free to pursue different areas of romance, protected by anonymity.
Unfortunately, a conclusion cannot be drawn. Scientific studies, if you trust them, are limited in scope and data. Personal testimony abounds, and there is no denying that at least some couples have found success online. The real question, of course, is whether finding your future lovebird through the Internet is more reliable—that is, for long-term stability and happiness—than traditional, meet-and-flirt dating.