How Couples Meet – Dating between Past and Present
In the past 75 years, the way heterosexual couples in the United States meet has changed drastically. Before the advent of technology, the most popular way for people to meet was through the intermediation of friends and family. As technology has advanced, the Internet has allowed individuals to meet romantic partners without the need of a personal mediator. Data from a 2009 survey showed that the percentage of heterosexual couples who met online was 0% for couples who met before 1995, but had risen to 22% by 2009.
Online Dating: A Revolution in Modern Romance
Rosenfeld, Michael J., Reuben J. Thomas, and Sonia Hausen., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More recent data from a 2017 survey showed that meeting online had further increased up to 40%, while meeting through friends had continued to decrease. Researchers theorize that this trend is so strong because communication technology reinforces and complements existing face-to-face social networks, hierarchies, and patterns, rather than changing who interacts with whom. Despite the growth of online dating, there are still valid criticisms of Internet and computer-mediated communication, as some scholars believe it weakens relationships and leads to a lack of commitment.
How Online Dating Has Shifted Our Social Norms
Smartphones and apps such as Tinder and Grindr have played a large role in the growth of online dating and the decrease of reliance on friends and family for introductions. Furthermore, the stigma against online dating has also decreased as more people have found their partners through dating sites. With the changing times, online dating has become a trend that is here to stay. It has allowed individuals to look for potential partners from all over the world, and has opened up the possibility of forming relationships with people from different cultures and backgrounds. It has also made it easier for individuals to form strong and lasting relationships with potential partners. As online dating continues to grow, it has the potential to continue to shape our social norms in positive ways.
Conclusion
In conclusion, online dating has become the most popular way for heterosexual couples in the United States to meet. The trend has been driven by the convenience of communication technology, which reinforces existing social networks and hierarchies. Although there are still valid criticisms of online dating, it has become increasingly popular in recent years. It has even displaced the role of friends and family as the primary matchmaking intermediaries. Hence the power of technology to shape social dynamics and the way we interact with one another is getting evident.