Our View: The rise of online dating still hasn’t erased stigma
Technology has made so many aspects of our lives easier, and many don’t give it a second thought. But when it comes to online dating, there is still an unfair stigma attached to it.
For this reason, many are still shy to admit to using modern tools to find relationships. But that’s not stopping them. About one in 10 Americans between ages 18 and 24 have used an online-dating website or mobile app. The number might be surprising to some, as it seems to be pretty rare to hear people bragging about the significant other they met online.
People are becoming more accepting, but we feel the change is too slow. What’s the holdup? Why are people afraid to just say, “This is my girlfriend/boyfriend; I met her/him on a dating site”?
In an age where phones are glued to hands and eyes are glued to screens, we don’t understand what makes online dating cross the line into too much technology.
Sure, ideally, most people looking for that special someone might prefer to meet him or her out at a bar or at the park. But the way we live doesn’t always work that way. People are busy and always moving. It can be easier to just cut through the clutter and find someone with common interests online than it is to find someone in your day-to-day life.
Some argue a manicured profile is disingenuous, but who doesn’t put on a bit of a show, working hard to make that perfect first impression — in real life and online? And just like in real life, the façade will eventually fade and if people like what’s behind it, they’ll stick around.
So for those who are using a website to meet people, good for you for trying something new, for embracing what works for you.
For those who aren’t, why not give it a shot? Talk to some people, make some friends, see what happens.
And for those who will never touch an online dating site, that’s fine. You know what works for you. But remember: Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it’s invalid for others.
The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board