Discuss the trend toward the use of online dating sites or mobile dating apps as a way to initiate relationships

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Over the past decade, the Internet has become an increasingly popular way to initiate relationships. Among a sample of 2,200 Americans, 11 percent said they had used online dating sites or mobile dating apps. One-fourth of these had met their spouse or a long-term partner in this way, making the Internet the second most common route to meeting a partner, just behind meeting through friends. Furthermore, nearly 30 percent of participants knew someone who had formed an enduring relationship through Internet dating. Knowing someone who has successfully met a partner online strongly predicts single adults’ willingness to engage in Internet dating. Young people between 25 and 34 are the most avid users of dating sites and apps; 20 percent report having used them. Nevertheless, online dating services sometimes undermine, rather than enhance, the chances of forming a successful relationship. Relying on Internet profiles and online communication omits aspects of direct social interaction that are vital for assessing one’s compatibility with a potential partner. Especially when online communication persists for a long time (six weeks or more), people form idealized impressions that often lead to disappointment at face-to-face meetings. Furthermore, having a large pool of potential partners from which to choose can promote a persistent “shopping mentality,” which reduces online daters’ willingness to make a commitment. Finally, the techniques that matching sites claim to use to pair partners—sophisticated analyses of information daters provide—have not demonstrated any greater success than conventional off-line means of introducing people.