How many times have you had a close person to you talking about a person they are romantically interested in they met through Instagram or Tinder? How many times have you met such a person? It is more likely that you answered yes to the above-mentioned queries.
Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Tinder, Badoo. These are some of the apps used in order for someone to meet new people or go up to somebody in 2023. People of each gender and every sexuality appeal to this style of acquaintanceship because it is an easy, approachable and impersonal method since nowadays the aforementioned apps are a huge part in the everyday-life of the majority. According to the statistics, more than 323,9 million people worldwide have registered in at least one dating app in 2021 without counting the rest of acquaintanceships made through other social media apps. So, in this day and age, online dating is simply inevitable.
In light of the above, I asked two female users to share their experiences with me.
The aftertaste of this occasion might be bittersweet, E says. I have met people I liked and felt something unique but at the same time I cannot forget how many times I felt awkward admitting to myself that I was obsessed with someone I met on a screen since some partners wanted us to put a lid on it.
Based on corresponding research it has been shown that 3/4 of users aim in finding something quite consistent and/or someone to marry and only 1/4 are not interested in something fixed (1). It is significant that in online dating both sides have mutual intentions.
On the other hand, R. firmly believes that the existence of the one and only right person is enough to make you forget bad experiences of the past. However, as many argue, so E. does say that had she been aware of all that she experienced, she would have had a different approach in dealing with her chatters. “Probably I would lessen the number of acquaintances that I made because everything has its limit. Moreover, I would never let myself believe in people’s words on the Internet since many critical utterances that the other person doesn’t mean can be said”.
On the contrary, R. advocates that “I wouldn’t change a thing because I wouldn’t become who I am today. People learn by their own mistakes and become more confident about their choices”. As a piece of advice, E. underlines that everyone, irrespective of age and gender, willing to have that kind of acquaintance should be careful who they talk to, since the Internet bears many risks.”
Furthermore, it is well known that 26% of men and 32% of women have felt that their personal safety has been threatened at some point (1).
It is obvious that through all these modern-age anticipated encounters one reaps theirs’s benefits as in every kind of experience does. It can definitely be said that -if one considers it- online dating has both advantages and disadvantages. Undeniably, a new acquaintance of that kind, cannot be compared to the perfection of interaction and the variety of feelings generated through “ace to face communication E. mentions and as R. says Never say never. I considered it kind of weird to get to know someone that can confound your life under these circumstances but it happens.
It is of significant importance to realise that as human beings, everybody has their own feelings, needs and desires and we will never be able to know what is really happening behind the screen of our digital partner. Approaching others requires respect, positivity, no stress and pressure since “we are in search of love, not stress”. To summarise this article, I will refer to R. sayings who said that love does not see distance, gender, nationality, or distinctiveness. Let the heart rule ourselves, be in love and be loved.
References
1. Andrej Hadji-Vasilev, Cloudwards, article (2022, June 25th)
