How Does Virtual Dating Distort The Concept Of Love?
Love is one of the most cherished experiences in life. It can make you happy, inspire you to do better, and even improve your self-esteem. Love also makes you feel good about yourself by validating your worth as a human being. Everyone thinks about finding the man or woman of their dreams. How are you going to meet them? Have they already been around you but you don't know it yet? Or what if your best friend is the one you are searching for? There are many questions juggling in the mind of an individual about their perfect match. In the older days, dating was not as convenient as it is today. To find love, many people adopt virtual dating apps because it’s convenient and accessible from anywhere.
All thanks to the internet, lovemaking in the modern world become facile. Dating apps and social media revamped the dating scenario in contemporary times. Now everyone is accessible around the world. You can swim through the sea of faces, find the one you like, and tada! You can even hang out with them within a few hours if you are motivated enough.
Today there are many dating sites or apps like bumble, Tinder, OkCupid, etc. in the market which promise to find the perfect love match for you. These dating sites maintain a database of each customer and oversee those who sign up for their services. They run on a subscription model, meaning that you can only access some of their features for free and if you want full access to every feature, you have to get a subscription.
However, using these apps comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Virtual dating apps distort the concept of love in several ways. They not only change how people date but also create a false sense of what love should be like for users who are new to relationships.
An inherent sense of objectification
When you use dating apps, it’s almost impossible to avoid the sense of objectification. When you search for potential dates, you’re essentially rating people based on their photos and profile details, which is the definition of objectification. In love, appearance should be a secondary measure to choose someone. However, it can vary from person to person, what they want in their partner. Relationships based on physical attraction only are often infatuations and do not work for a long period. At some point in time, one of the partners tends to fall out of love.
Unrealistic expectations of love and relationships
Online dating is different from meeting someone in your social circle or at work. It gives you more control over who you meet and when you decide to meet them. As a result, online dating allows you to be more selective with your dates. The word “selective” may sound like a good thing, but it comes with a downside. It can lead to unrealistic presumptions in relationships and create fanciful expectations of the other person.
Lack of meaningful self-disclosure
Issues with self-disclosure are the root cause of most relationship problems, but people rarely disclose issues in dating apps. You might think that people will divulge their issues because they’re anonymous. However, research shows that people are less likely to spill their issues while using dating apps. People are likely more cautious when they are anonymous, as they fear the repercussions of being too candid. The effects of this lack of meaningful communication can be far-reaching. It can lead to differences and broken relationships.
Instant gratification culture
People expect everything in life to happen quickly, and new dating apps make it easier for them to find dates. While dating apps make it easier for you to find love, they can also create an instant gratification culture. Instant gratification is the expectation that everything in life should happen quickly and that there should be no wait time. Dating apps make it easier for people to find casual flings but don’t make it easier to find the right person. This means that people spend less time getting to know the other person, which can lead to more breakups and failed relationships. Finding the right person takes time and effort.
Final Thoughts
Virtual dating apps have changed the way people date and created a false sense of what love should be like. While virtual dating apps are convenient and easy to use, Online dating distorted the concept of love, with unrealistic expectations and aspirations that can be difficult to meet. Many people expect online dating to be the same as "real-life" dating, but this is simply not the case. Virtual dating is not a reflection of real-life relationships. People expect everything to happen quickly, expect love at first sight, and feel validated when someone likes them back on a dating app. The computer screen provides a very different experience than in-person interactions. Online daters may feel more anonymous, they may feel no need to make eye contact, or they may be concerned about being judged or seen as less attractive by potential suitors. This can cause people to behave in sometimes uncharacteristic ways - from oversharing to being clingy - that can make online daters stand out unfavorably. Moreover, people experience less self-disclosure, which can lead to relationship problems, and feel a false sense of entitlement when an individual doesn’t like them back on a dating app.
Some people view online dating as a way to find a long-term partner, whereas others view it as a way to find a one-night stand or a casual fling.