Online Dating: Is It the Resolution to Inefficient Western Society Dating?

Behavioral economics have conducted studies which have drawn that the dating style in Western society is grossly inefficient, especially after high school. But…has online dating been a successful resolution to this problem?

Scientists at the University of Rochester reviewed over 400 psychology studies and publish interest surveys. They reported in 2012 that online dating is the second most popular way for couples to meet, the first being meeting through mutual friends.

25 million users around the globe were online dating, according to one study published in the Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

85% of my friends utilize various dating apps/online sites. It’s growing in major popularity; why so?

“Online dating is definitely a new and much needed twist on relationships,” Harry Reis, professor of psychology at the university shares. “The Internet holds great promise for helping adults form healthy and supportive romantic partnerships, and those relationships are one of the best predictors of emotional and physical health.”

A large study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that out of a study done on 20,000 Americans, 35% of couples who married from 2005-2011 met online. Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Chicago, John Cacioppo, then asked these married couples to rate their marital satisfaction: 1 being extremely unhappy and 7 being perfect.

This study showed that out of those 20,000 Americans, the statistical rate concluded that married couples who met online were more happier than those who met off-line. The married couples who met online had a divorce rate of 6%, which was lower than the divorce rate of those who met off-line.

So…thinking about giving online dating a shot? Still a little hesitant to enter this dating style? Bestdatingwebsites.net has outlined the benefits of online dating:

Fast, Easy and Convenient

It doesn’t require the attention, time or energy as traditional dating methods. It’s extremely fast, easy and convenient to make an online dating profile and then continue to use it.

Less Pressure

It’s, for the most part, a relaxing atmosphere. You can take out the time to post up a picture, formulate a message, exchange phone numbers, etc. There’s really none of that: “Omg I have to get his/her attention before he/she leaves…what do I do??? What do I say?! Should I even do it? What if they’re not even single?” Well, hello! Everyone on these sites are singles (or, at least, they should be). Online dating is PERFECT for those who are more on the timid side.

Avoid Embarrassment

In person, people tend to be more on the surface rather than speak on an extremely passionate, emotional and deep level. Writing messages online allow for more disclosure because most people don’t feel embarrassed about expressing their passion via email format, online, etc. Similarly, you don’t have to feel embarrassed and awkward about rejecting someone via online, as some people feel bad rejecting someone face to face.

Wide Variety of Options

As I’ve stated before that the #1 way of meeting a romantic partner is through mutual friends, most individuals have a small group of tight knit friends; this could limit opportunities to meet a vast amount of potential suitors. Online dating allows for you to meet a variety of individuals you normally wouldn’t stumble upon. How about that yoga teacher two cities down that you wouldn’t have met because you’d never even consider taking a yoga class? How about that engineer you normally wouldn’t meet since you’re a business woman? The world is a HUGE place and it’s beneficial to seek out as many opportunities as possible!!!

If you’re ready to date and would like to give online dating a shot, here are some of the most popular sites:  eharmony.com, match.com, okcupid.com, christianmingle.com, pleantyoffish.com and the dating app you can download on your smartphone: Tinder.

Let me know how your experience goes!!!

Xoxo,

Chrissy

http://www.match.com/magazine/article/12982/Learn-From-His-Online-Dating-Experiences/

http://www.bestdatingwebsites.net/guide/benefits/

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http://poemsforkush.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/online-dating.jpg

http://drkatsmith.com/online-dating-strategies-for-offline-success/

http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2013/06/does-online-dating-produce-happy-or-miserable-marriages/