Hype and online dating

Nicky Daniels

With the hype of the internet, there are a lot of people who are excited that it allows you to connect with people who are in different countries, or that are a far distance from where you are at. The internet is a great place to connect with people who you do not know or are just looking to reconnect with.  Many people who believe in the hype of the internet are optimistic that they will make new friends and meet new people.  These people are the type of people that are completely fine with telling their deepest, darkest secrets to strangers.  It is also known that these people are more susceptible to start relationships over the internet as well.  There was a study that was done in 2013, that one third of people are more likely to get married when they meet over the internet.  Most people are more likely to tell their secrets to people they do not know therefore, they are willing to start intimate relationships with these people because they come off as more vulnerable to strangers.  Most times anonymity promotes disclosure.  That makes most people feel better about themselves when they can unleash their true selves to people who they do not know.  My cousin for example, had met her now boyfriend online.  They met through a dating website, and she told him her most personal secrets.  This caused them to feel closer to one another, even though he lived in a different state.  They now live together and are planning on getting married, and it is all because neither of them had hysteria about the internet.  Neither of the two were pessimistic of meeting in person after they had told all of their secrets to each other.  I think this is a prime example of how the internet can contribute to a healthy, long lasting relationship.  Online dating does not always work out the way we hope it will.  There is a popular show on MTV called Catfish.  In the show, a guy named Nev finds people who have online relationships and helps them meet the person they think they are in love with.  Most of the time these people are talking to someone who is not necessarily who they say they are.  Most of the time, the person impersonating someone else claims that their feelings are real, but they are ashamed of their appearance and find photos of someone who is what they perceive to be attractive.  When they find out that they have been talking to a completely different person, it usually does not work out.  All in all, internet relationships could go either way.  There are a lot of people who believe the internet is a safe haven for relationships, but it could also take a terrible turn and end up being a completely different person from who you think you are talking to.  While the internet can make marriages and help people find love, it can also be very deceiving.