Online Dating

We interact more with technology every day. Naturally, this has changed the way we also seek companionship. Instead going out on blind dates that our concerned aunt has setup for us or going out with that guy who we’ve avoided for the last six months from work, are able to go outside of our social and professional circles and find millions of people via our computer. Like other outlets of social media, matchmaking websites have branched out to our mobile devices, making our ability to find someone a completely interactive experience. We are able to check out a potential match's vital information from anywhere, any place, and any time. Have some spare time during lunch? Why not check out your potential matches thoughts on last week's episode of Game of Thrones or check out their latest photos? 

Social media has allowed us access to a larger pool of potential mates than ever before while removing the awkwardness of possibly rejecting or being rejected by someone in person. Online dating has taken hold in all aspects of society, instead of beint seen as used by the antisocial and mentally defective. People that would otherwise never encounter one another in social situations are thrown together and equalized, where only their words and photos are taken for what they are. The ability to communicate on a level that you wouldn't normally be able to ups the game to a point where you're really forced to consider what a person is like, without taking into account all of the little factors that might distract you from making a quality choice in "reality". 

You can't very well throw thousands of overly-eager and diversified individuals together and expect anything useful to come of it, of course. These sites have developed all kinds of methods for matching potential daters with one another, all using different methods of information harvesting. Lengthy questionnaires, location, ratings of both themselves and other individuals all play a part in being able to decipher who is going to be worth your time in contacting. But even as advanced as these algorithms have become, it does still boil down to plain old social chemistry. Were they lying about some things on their profile? Are they able to communicate with you in a way you enjoy? The matching aspect helps narrow down from the thousands and thousands, but its still on the individual and direct communication to make the process a worthwhile one. 

More options, less commitment.