Generations have definitely changed when it comes to dating. Before, a person might notice the same girl in a coffee shop until finally getting the courage to ask her on a date. Today, a person might avoid face-to-face interaction and simply search her name on social media to get to know who she is.
Online dating has been one of the most popular ways of finding love and maybe even the fastest way of meeting someone new. According to Single World Dating Blog, 11 percent of Americans have used an online dating website or app.
From the beginning of Match.com to free apps that you can now download on your phone such as Tinder, Christian Mingle and Zoosk, anyone across the country can find love.
Kenny Ward, 20, and Political Science major at Moorpark College does not buy into online dating.
“Nowadays it’s hard to meet someone through apps such as Tinder, Grindr or any other app because I feel like those apps are just for hooking up with people instead of finding real love,” said Ward.
Ward believes that serious relationships are typically found offline.
“You date offline because you get to actually see the person face to face,” said Ward. “Typing something through online is sometimes miscommunication, if you want to say something serious but it sounds like a joke, the other person might not take you seriously.”
Ward has been an online dating participant since 2013. He did not originally intend to online date, but he did find his first girlfriend unexpectedly on the internet.
“I started liking this girl’s photos on Instagram and I became instantly attracted to her, so I messaged her and she happened to message back,” said Ward. “We ended up liking each other and found out that we lived near each other and we decided to get in relationship, but it didn’t work out because we had different views in life.”
For Anthony Rodriguez, 20, Photography major, things went a little different. Rodriguez started online dating during the summer of 2016, in the hope of meeting people out of his own region.
“I’ve online dated for a while now and at one point I almost gave up because the girls that were interested in me were not really my type,” said Rodriguez. “However, I ended up talking to someone right now and I feel like we could potentially be in a serious one, but she lives so far away.”
Some might wonder why they should take the time to meet a potential partner in person, when you could already meet your soul mate online.
Online dating cuts the fun out of getting to know your potential partner. It defeats the purpose of going on dates and really connecting with someone mentally and physically.
Offline dating makes connections with individuals so much better because you are able to evaluate a person, physically and mentally when you are on an in-person date with them.
According to, “The Telegraph” couples who meet online are three times more likely to end in divorce than those who meet face-to-face first.
Couples were more successful if they were to meet through friends, work, hobbies or even socializing.
Another reason is that relationships online can take more time to develop compared to relationships offline.
While that might seem better, realistically, it’s not. That means spending more time getting through the basics before you get to the fun parts.
It can be hard to know when it will be a good time to talk on the phone or video chat each other. The bigger question is, when will online couples be able to meet in person?
You should not let time get in the way of your happiness. Couples should be able to see each other without too much of a hassle.
The holidays are coming up this season and most people want to spend time with their family and significant others.
Get that special someone a gift for the holidays that will make them smile or even get that news years kiss you’ve been waiting for. Exchanges like these can only really happen in person.
