Online Dating

Persuasive Essay # 104805

Computer and Technology > Internet
Sociology > Theory

Online Dating

This paper discusses how online dating has changed the nature of social interaction.

1,500 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer asserts that online dating has drastically changed the nature of social interaction in our modern society. Specifically, the writer notes that online dating has made it easier than in the past to lie about oneself, just as it has made it easier to find someone from someplace far away - albeit these kinds of relationships can bring their own problems. Proceeding further, the writer maintains that online dating has empowered socially dysfunctional types, has made the cultivation of traditional social skills less needed than in the past and it has brought young people into closer proximity with predators. All in all, the writer concludes that the Internet has brought many benefits to many people - but, like many innovations, its legacy is not a wholly happy one.

From the Paper:

"One of the key impacts of technology - chiefly communication technology - in the last century has been that the world has been brought closer together. Television, the arrival of the mobile phone, the advent of the fax machine and, of course, the internet - all of these items have given people in different, remote geographic locations the ability to interact with others. In the particular case of online dating, the "pool" of potential mates is much larger than ever before. To wit, where once someone might be mostly confined to the local community when it came to seeking out a desirable partner, now an internet-savvy individual can, quite literally, scour the globe. Suffice it to say, this probably means, in the end, more "mixed" relationships between people of different races and ethnicities, and it also means more cross-cultural tensions; after all, different cultures have different expectations for men and women, and the clash between these opposing viewpoints can debilitate a fledgling marriage or partnership. Ultimately, new technologies - like online dating - gives people more options, but it also means they are confronted with challenges that their parents and grandparents really did not have to deal with."

Sample of Sources Used:

Fleming, Michele and Rickwood, Debra. (2004). Teens in Cyberspace. Youth Studies Australia, 23(3): 46-52.
Gibbs, Jennifer L., Ellison, Nicole B., and Heino, Rebecca D. Heino. (2006). Self-presentation in online personals: The role of anticipated future interaction, self-disclosure and perceived success in internet dating. Communication Research, 33(2): 177-202.
Griffiths, M.D. (1997). Friendship and social development in children and adolescents: The impact of electronic technology. Educational and Child Psychology, 14, 25-26.
Gross, E.F., Juvonen, J., and Gable, S.L. (2002). Internet use and well-being in adolescence, Journal of Social Issues, 58(1): 75-90
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukopadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998). Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? American Psychologist, 53(9): 1017-1031.