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Feb 20, 2024

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RUNNING HEAD: Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous Stephen Scott June 15, 2015 Capella University Author Note This paper was prepared for English Composition 1000, taught by Professor Perry. 1

RUNNING HEAD: Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous During the last ten years online dating has gained in popularity over traditional dating. People are finding long term relationships and even getting married by meeting their partners online. Participants usually answer questions about themselves and what they desire in a partner. Then, a computer program uses those parameters to match them with potential mates. This method can take some of the pressure of meeting strangers in public places to ask them on a date, which is preferable for some people. Through online dating services participants can slowly get to know one another before ever meeting in public. It could be said that this is an improved form of dating, but some feel there are also dangers of meeting someone online. They claim that fake profiles are easy to create so it’s difficult to be confident the person you’re interacting with online will be the same person that you’ll end up meeting face to face. This essay will show that online dating is not as dangerous as perceived and is an exciting new way to find a mate. Online dating has helped many people find long lasting relationships. Rosen, Cheever, Cummings, & Felt (2008) explained, “That 14% of singles were dating, married to, or engaged to someone they met online (p.2125).” Those numbers will continue to rise as more dating sites are created and matching systems get more advanced. In January 2005 there were 836 dating sites operating with online sales reaching $473 million (Rosen et al. 2008, p. 2125). Since there is such a rise in use of these dating services and a high potential for money to be made from online dating, providers will be continually competing to improve online dating experiences for their customers. Sites will develop more sophisticated programs to ensure people are only matched with someone they have similar interests and dislikes with. Sites have already reported many success stories of people using their services finding love. Rosen et al. (2008) said that, “An eHarmony Harris Interactive research study (eHarmony, 2006) recently reported that 33,000 members got married in a 12-month period ending August 31, 2005 which works out to 90 2

RUNNING HEAD: Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous marriages per day (p. 2125).” This is an improvement to traditional dating because it allows a person to learn all about someone before they decide to meet them in person and can lessen the potential to pick the wrong mate. The amount of compatible people a person meets online is much higher than traditional dating due to being able to look through multiple profiles that are specifically matched to them. Online dating has the potential to take over as the dominant form of dating in the future. There are some who feel it is dangerous to use online dating sites to meet people. Does using a computer to meet someone online have the potential for risks? According to Cali, Coleman, & Campbell (2013), “In a U.S. study, it was found that 66% of internet users thought online dating was dangerous. For those who had actually used online dating, 43% thought that it was risky, but 52% did not think it was a risky or dangerous activity (p.698).” It’s understandable that people might be apprehensive about using online dating. Many fear that people can manipulate their profile and picture to be anyone they want. This could make a matching system inaccurate no matter how sophisticated it is. To prevent this problem online dating sites offer services that will run a background check to verify a person’s identity. Filters can then be set up on the site so they are only matched with identity verified profiles. Studies have shown that while it is a common fear of online daters that there is a potential of being deceived, most profiles have only minor lies about weight, height, age, or picture enhancements (Cali et al. 2013). It’s just as easy for a person to make up info about themselves when meeting in a traditional setting like a bar. This shows that online dating is not as dangerous as popular belief would lead some to believe. In conclusion, online dating has a great potential for society and is not more dangerous than traditional dating. As described by Rosen, Cheever, Cummings, & Felt (2008), 3

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RUNNING HEAD: Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous “Online dating is unique in the pursuit of romance. The bond created between potential partners takes a different path than normal dating relationships. Online dating usually begins with a flurry of e-mail messages, each more intimate than the last. Traditional dating relationships that might take months to develop in the real world, take weeks or even days online (p. 2124)”. Online dating has large databases that use advanced matching technology to pair people to one another. This gives the users access to meet more people in a safe environment and choose who is best suited to their personality before meeting them in public. There is still a potential for people to defraud these dating services, but the majority of people only lie about physical details about their bodies and age. Online dating is on the rise and will continue to change the people are dating in our society. 4

RUNNING HEAD: Online Dating Exciting Not Dangerous References Rosen, D. L., Cheever, A. N., Cummings, C., & Felt, J., (2008). Computers in Human Behavior. Science Direct , 24(5), 2124–2157. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2007.10.003 Cali, B. E., Coleman, J. M., & Campbell, C. (2013). Stranger Danger? Women's Self-Protection Intent and the Continuing Stigma of Online Dating. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking , 16 (12), 853-857. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0512 5

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