The Internet has pivoted the way college students date

and form relations. Many generation Xers and Baby Boomers

would cringe at the casual process generation Y partakes in.

There are 54 million single people in the U.S., and a large portion

is turning toward the web for a shot at love. 

 

30 years ago it was normal for a guy to call a girl’s house phone,

ask her on a date, pick her up and walk to the door to introduce

himself to her parents. A date would usually consist of dinner and

a movie or activity following. The courting process was a grueling

one and gradually the couple got to know each other and started

“going steady.”

 

Today’s culture has transformed what it means to date and be in

a relationship. Dating apps and the internet make it possible to

form a connection with someone without ever meeting them in

person. There are many success stories that derive from online

dating, but we can’t overlook the failures. It’s common for collegiate students to have profiles on applications such as Tinder, OkCupid and Bumble to leisurely choose the partners they are potentially interested in.

 

Why do we make these accounts? What do we really hope to gain from them? Are they safe? Our studies show that the answers to these questions vary, but these accounts have certainly revolutionized the way people communicate and even fall in love.

In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, pursuing someone was referred to as “courting.” Once the courting process was well on its way, the couple was then “going steady.” People would keep others’ phone numbers in a “little black book,” and it was a milestone if the two were “necking” on a heated date (but definitely not the first date!)

 

In today’s terms, when you’re interested in someone you’re “talking.” Once you begin to talk more seriously, you’re considered “together.” Relationships are defined in terms of “bases” and first base is “hooking up” which often times happens with complete strangers. Oh, and the little black book of today is Facebook, Tinder or your contacts list in your iPhone.

The differences between then and now are immense, but there are several benefits to having the Internet as your oyster. People from all over the world as suddenly assessable to you with a click of a button, and often times categorized or labeled by the things you have in common.

 

College students thrive with apps like Tinder. It’s part of the college culture to swipe left or right for a few minutes while waiting for class to start or your dinner to cook. It’s common for people to delve into a person’s online profiles- Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Twitter, etc- and learn personal things about them such as where they vacationed in 2010 and what the inside of their bedroom looks like, without ever actually meeting the person.

 

Clearly, there’s a red flag that raises and questions the reliability and safety of the online dating scene. As seen by our research, there’s no telling how each situation will turn out- that judgment call is left to the user. People can use matchmaking apps as much or as little as they want, and some people prefer it to traditional dating.

 

Dating apps allow for a lot of individual regulation, disclosure and creativity. A profile can show off whatever you wish, and can say whatever you’d like. Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or even just a friend, you can customize your page to express that. With that, there can be a lot of deceit and lying on these apps. Often times people lie about their age, height or weight, and sometimes even their name and location.

 

Online dating is still rather new to the world, and we can count on a lot of advancements in the future. For now, collegiate students will be the majority of the population plunging into this exciting world of opportunities for love, friendship and experiences headfirst.

 

-Kara Curtin