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POP PHILOSOPHY: The psychology of online dating
Twenty years from now - mark my words - anyone who doesn't meet their significant other online is going to look shallow, slutty or desperate.
POP PHILOSOPHY: The psychology of online dating
New technology has always been difficult to place in its destined context. Alexander Graham Bell would never have predicted we'd all have phones in our pockets. Twenty-five years ago, Bill Gates probably didn't know we'd all have the Internet on our phones (Steve Jobs probably did, but I digress). The CEO of Iomega circa 1998 would have never predicted that in 2011, nobody cares about the zip drive.
The psychology of online dating is an interesting arch on which we're smack in the middle. When it first arrived, it was seen as desperate. It was a way for people who simply couldn't get a date to meet other people who couldn't get a date. Twenty years from now — mark my words — anyone who doesn't meet their sig-oth online is going to look shallow, slutty or desperate. And something else: As the percentage of marriage increases as a result of online dating, you can expect the divorce rate to decrease.
Human chemistry will always yield workplace romances, childhood sweethearts, meetups through a friend, etc. But after the divorce is finalized, everybody's going to turn to the Internet. Why? Because deep down most people believe in a soul mate. Don't get me wrong. This doesn't mean people believe in magic. And they don't all believe their soul mate is someone they'll meet through fate. And they don't necessarily believe that their soul mate is someone who is spiritually bound to them (you can believe in a soul mate without believing in a soul). And the likelihood that this person works in the cubicle next to you — despite how pretty, handsome or nice — is a statistical unreality that most people are starting to come to terms with.
There's definitely nothing wrong with socializing. Bar hookups are not going away. But when adults have gotten their career together and they're ready to work on the next big project — seeking a life partner — why would you not start the selection process with a pool of individuals who are categorically compatible? It's like going to a singles bar where the theme is "People who share your interests and values". Seems much more productive than going to a different singles bar where the theme is "Alcohol".
Don't be a sucker. It's no secret that certain aspects of the Internet are degrading culture, but online dating is not one of them.
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