Internet Dating - Paper

Internet Dating: A Cultural Phenomenon
According to U.S. News & World Report, more than 40 million users from the United States visited online dating sites in August 2003—almost half of all single adults in the United States (Fiore np). Online dating has begun to lose its stigma as a matchmaker for the socially awkward and is influencing not only the individual person, but also cultural notions of love and attraction. An internet-dating site allows one to meet more people than traditional meeting places like clubs, parties, and sporting events, but is it any safer? Has internet dating affected the social skills of the current and future generations? One thing is sure; the introduction of online dating sites has drastically changed the dynamics of dating and courting and, therefore, has altered the face of the traditional dating scene.
Internet dating is a cultural phenomenon wherein people from all lifestyles, from all over the globe, can come together and develop a relationship. This is accomplished through the development of a profile; a detailed summary of one’s life, including age, race, gender, goals, interests, geographical region, and family background among other things. Users of these online dating sites can view such profiles and narrow down potential matches by interests, geographical region, age, religious beliefs, or any other criteria of their choice. Internet dating can also begin in an online chat room, a site on the internet where any number of users from across the globe can communicate in real time, usually dedicated to a particular topic. This provides a place for users with similar interests to convene and introduce themselves. Once a close relationship between two people has formed on either of these venues, users will typically begin to use a personal email addresses and the telephone to communicate. If the relationship continues to develop, the couple will usually try to meet face-to-face. “So in theory it’s easy to imagine that...