Social Media and Dating

Over the last decade social media has been in popular use among young adults, especially in the dating field.  Three-fourths of all 18-19 year-olds in the United States use social networking to keep in contact with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others (Pew Research Center, 2010).There are many pros to online dating such as easy access to one's hobbies, values, religious beliefs, and political views. Having this information up front can eliminate unfit candidates right from the beginning. Talking online for awhile can also give people a chance to get to know each other in great depth. They can do this without all the pressure of being physical or dealing with each other face to face first. There are many cons of dating online as well. A major con is that many people hide behind computer screens today in order to find a potential date. The old fashion way of asking someone out in public when they are interested in someone has become almost obsolete in my opinion. Some may say that this is a good thing because it reduces the hurt from rejected. I would disagree with them since I'm finding out that without a digital screen in front of people, they aren't willing to put the effort into asking someone out. I also think that online dating can be a waste of time sometimes. This is because most people put on a front about who they really are online. Everyone has the ability to say great things about themselves but their dates usually are disappointed when their is little action backing up their words in real life. When you meet someone in other ways than the internet, you know how they act right away. Many of my friends have had both positive and negative experiences with online dating, mostly negative. I believe it is possible for people to find true love on social media since I've seen it happen before. However, more cases than not, it turns into a headache.

Berger, Kathleen. (2011). The Developing Person Through the Life Span. New York, NY : Worth Publishers.