Online Dating

601 Words2 Pages

Online dating is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Millions of people sign up each year to popular websites such as Match, PleantyofFish, and Zoosk. Instead of being traditionally introduced to potential partners through friends and family, individuals are joining the online dating community. From young adults to elders, dating websites offer a wide spectrum of individuals from various ethnicities, religions, economic statuses, and professions. The total number of individuals who have once tried online dating is a little over 41 million. However, research studies and surveys find that online dating can also cause various relationship and personal issues. Individuals, who have attempted online dating, often report tree main concerns: trust issues, infidelities, and false identities.
First of all, before one can explore the issues online dating brings, it’s important to understand why individuals join the online socializing community. There are various attributes, like lack of self-confidence and intimidation, which influence individuals to seek partners through the internet. Over ninety percent of woman exert a lack of full confidence and wish to change at least one feature on their body, according to Confidence Coalition (“Did You Know?”). Online dating provides a wall, or barrier, between a person and their viewers, allowing people with low confidence to seek partners without the intimidation of facing them in person. Although seemingly a positive attribute, meeting people though the internet can cause problems. Moreover, many people become intimidated when engaging with the opposite sex, which leads to high anxiety and an emotional blockade. Dr. Jeremy Nicholson states that “social anxiety, fear of rejection, or shyness ends...

... middle of paper ...

...ntimacy: problems in the world of online dating. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2012. Print.
"The Psychology of Internet Dating: The Effect of Online Relationships on Face-to-Face Relationships." The Psychology of Internet Dating: The Effect of Online Relationships on Face-to-Face Relationships. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
"Statistics." -Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
"How to Reduce Dating Anxiety." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Peterson, Hayley. "'Catfishing:' The phenomenon of Internet scammers who fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into romantic relationships."Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
"Find the Right Therapist." Trust Issues: How to Get Over Them in Relationships, Marriage, and Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Open Document