Are we all familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? A part of it suggests that we, humans, should be provided with love and a sense of belonging‒ simply because it is a fundamental human need. With Maslow’s Hierarchy and this generation combined, most of us feel alone. Regularly, many people meet their other half through circles of friends, at work or college, or some random events.
Adding COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown for most countries, many of us are craving and longing for something we all call “affection.” With intense protocols and social distancing, most people go through series of LDR or Long Distance relationships. While for those who haven’t found their significant other yet, they resulted to dating sites online. In hopes of finding someone to be happy with, we’re switching to the fastest and most modern way of dating as we disregard the traditional method.
A survey conducted in 2013 found that 77% of people considered it vital that they are attached to their smartphones all the time. Of course, with the rising applications and sites like Tinder for online dating, who can blame them for searching for love amid a pandemic? Swiping left or right is more comfortable than looking for a potential relationship in real life.
Using dating sites is like stepping into a minefield; at first glance, it looks simple until the unseen hazards start to rise. Let’s admit it. It’s easy to say both the right and wrong things online through a random site like Omegle, Eharmony, Bumble, and countless others. With the rise of dating sites as time passes by, the stigma of online dating shrank considerably. The popularity of online dating increased because many things drive it. The major contributor to it is time, which presents a few sets of problems.
Browsing profiles of strangers aren’t as daunting as interacting with people in real life in social contexts. Statistics suggest that 1 out of 5 relationships started online nowadays. Before we throw our love-struck hopes into the air, here are some of the reasons why dating sites are a waste of our time.
1. People Distort the Truth to Have an Acceptable Profile.
It’s not the most world-shattering revelation now. Of course, people are striving to be presentable, to be appealing to others’ eyes. Most people may not even be surprised anymore because it’s more common to lie on a profile than to be completely transparent in the dating world. A study conducted by the global research agency OpinionMatters resulted in some fascinating statistics.
Wherein 53% of US participants admitted to having lied about their profile on dating sites. Women lied more about their looks, and over 20% posted younger versions of themselves, while more than 40% of men indicated they fabricated their jobs and financial status.
2. Looking for a Relationship or Someone to Talk to Equates to Sex.
One major problem in dating sites for most women is that, albeit searching for genuine connections with men on the sites, many guys are only offering and looking for sexual activities. It seems as if men make a mistake assuming that if a woman is active in dating sites, it equates to them being interested in engaging with sensual activities.
In online dating, it creates the possibility of meeting multiple people you probably never would have in real life. Therefore, we should be cautious and aware that there are instances where we will get asked for undesired propositions and requests, rude and disgusting messages, and even unfiltered photos from a sea of strangers.
3. You’re Risking Yourself to Unwanted Exposures and Threats.
Let’s not lie here, how many times have you got tempted with glorious offers of cheap hotel suites and flights in different countries? The internet is full of sophisticated and backhanded intentions, and there are loopholes and tripwires, and Online dating can apply these, mostly when agreeing on meetups with strangers.
It would help if you were wary of a person and their promises. If you aren’t, you may be making a fool out of yourself by unconsciously giving out your privacy to people who can be a potential threat to your safety. Of course, this is a part of the basic do’s and don’t of online dating. A healthy series of skepticism can save a life in general.
4. Swiping Left and Right Brings a Challenge of Judgment.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with picking whatever it is that you like. That’s why our preferences for other people exist. But with online dating sites, it is easier for us to judge people with just a mere glance at their icon. It is easy to send a course after another when you hold a menu full of potential streams and systems.
According to the Association for Psychological Science, reviewing your matches causes you to become more judgmental and inclined to dismiss a “not-so-perfect” candidate. You find their pose and outfit lousy despite having talents stated in their bio? Reject. You see their photos immaculate, a match in an instant- you agreed in meeting face to face, and you saw them beforehand. “Ugh!” because they don’t look the same way they did in the photo?
5. Relationships Require Something More Than Screens and Swiping For it to Work.
Computers and sites may predict peoples’ desires, preferences, and common grounds, but it can’t pinpoint precisely when and how two people fall in love. Despite us showing our features and attributes, there is no stable way to identify whether two people could be a match. A good relationship requires more than conversing about what happened on a particular day. Indeed, it requires more than fundamental questions and answers about your favorite color and your fears.
According to a statistic, 1/3 of people who used online dating sites have never actually gone on a date with someone they just met online. According to research conducted at Michigan State University, relationships that sparked online are 28% more likely to fall apart in their first year than relationships where the couples met face-to-face firsthand. Also, couples who met online are nearly three times as likely to get divorced than partners married in real life.
We can’t merely anticipate how much individuals desire another in terms of online and speed dating, and we can’t also point out the level of accuracy in their feelings. Love is a four-lettered word that has a plethora of meanings and definitions. We cannot quickly figure it out by conversing for a short time through sites and a screen since there is a sea of what-ifs along with it.
