Difference between online dating and social networking
26-Jul-2020 14:35
EHarmony asks users to fill out extensive psychological questionnaires, many based on established personality scales.
Ok Cupid asks quirkier questions (e.g., “wouldn’t it be fun to chuck it all and live on a sailboat? The idea that we can use reliable tests to identify appropriate partners is certainly seductive (forgive the pun).
It is possible that, at this age, people possess greater self-insight (i.e., they know themselves better) and have more defined and mature criteria for potential partners than their younger and less experienced selves.
For instance, couples who met in high school or college may change drastically and in opposite directions from each other by the time they reach their 30’s.
That is, individuals typically encounter relatively small numbers of potential partners from whom they can choose.Second, online daters are a self-selected group, who decided to invest time, energy, effort, and often money (for paid sites) into finding a romantic partner.Therefore, their motivation to build satisfying relationships may be higher, leading them to be more committed towards and work harder at their relationships.Online dating substantially expands the pool of available partners, allowing singles to connect with greater numbers of people, many of whom they wouldn’t have met in their everyday lives.
It can be argued that individuals can make better, more informed choices in a situation where they have lots of diverse options.
By contrast, some traditional daters may stumble into relationships that they may not have specifically sought or ardently desired to begin with.