The 5 Major Pitfalls Of Online Dating
The main benefits of online dating are quite obvious. It’s usually an easier way of meeting a bunch of potential dates as needed, compared to meeting people in real life. However, does all of the convenience and quantity equal quality? Not always.
These apps and platforms might have come a long way since Match.com started the online dating craze in 1995. Recent studies show that there are still many reasons to look away from the smartphone and try meeting people the old-fashioned way.
In this post, we’ve rounded up a few drawbacks of online dating that might make you want to put in a bit more effort into meeting a person in real life.
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1. All the swiping and scrolling might make you perceive potential dates (people) as commodities
Online dating sites discovered that having access to a seemingly unlimited supply of profiles might make individuals commoditise potential partners. In such a case, it’s quite easy for people to be overly picky, and women might sometimes be deemed undesirable with any of the profile pictures they pick.
2. Unlimited options will give you a hard time finding someone willing to commit
This is the paradox of choice. When you have a seemingly infinite selection of potential dates, it can make people doubt or be dissatisfied with their decision, which might cause them to freeze up and be unable to make a choice at all.
Australian hypnotherapist Ilona Nichterlein notes that having too many options makes it almost impossible for someone to choose. “When it comes to online dating, you have options constantly presenting themselves. That translates to a lack of stability in terms of finding a partner, and this is not a sustainable option for the long term.”
Online daters are actually less willing to settle down and commit to one partner while they seemingly have boundless options at their fingertips.
3. The compatibility algorithms used in dating sites are not as effective as they sound
These platforms have a way of knowing how people will behave when they’ve met a match. The intake questionnaires they often use will only collect information about the individuals before they are matched.
There are so many qualities that simply can’t be put into a computer to narrow down choices, communication patterns, and sexual compatibility are crucial when it comes to predicting the success rate of relationships. However, they can’t (yet) be captured in an algorithm that’s employed pre-meeting.
4. Curated profiles usually won’t provide ineffable information about exactly who the potential dates are as individuals
For you to find out which individuals also like Spielberg films or rock climbing, online dating is great. To find out which of the singles have a sense of humor or are generous, then you will likely have to find that out in person. Dating platforms are only great for narrowing down potential dates by searchable qualities like religion and income, and not experiential attributes like rapport or connection.
5. Trolls
Trolls are always lurking in every corner of the internet – dating sites are no exception.
Mental health expert Luke Mollica highlights the impact that trolls can have on people. “It’s a worrying aspect about online dating, and there aren’t a whole lot of ways to prevent it from happening. They can have detrimental impacts on people’s mental health.”
You probably already know a person who has been contacted on these apps or sites in ways that make them feel uncomfortable or harassed.
Finding your forever friend is no easy task. With so many people in the world, how do you narrow it down to just one person that you want to spend the rest of your life with?
With Vital Partners, we do our best by doing the search for you. We take away the guesswork and horrible dates and find the most compatible person. If you’re looking for love, check out Vital Partners’ site today and let Cupid get the next arrow ready!
