It's Valentine's week, and the time of year when the pressure is on to find a date. There's no doubt Valentine's Day puts singles under stress and scrutiny for their single status, but it's up to each person how far they're willing to go to remedy the disease that is singleness.
In the olden days, people were set up by family, friends and good, old-fashioned human interaction. Now, why bother with face-to-face communication when the Internet can find you exactly what you're looking for? The day of dating websites is here, my friend, and it has come in with gusto! There are now more than 500 online dating sites out there, and they specialize in virtually anything you could imagine.
Sorting through potential suitors is a bit like deep sea diving. You almost need a decompression chamber just to get yourself back to normal.
There are dating sites out there for people who are married and want to cheat on their spouses (AshleyMadison.com), people who are looking for virginal partners (wewaited.com), people who only want to date other Ayn Rand fans (theatlasphere.com), people who have diaper fetishes (diapermate.com) and millions of others. There are dating sites for people of almost every religion, race, sexual preference, weight, appearance and more. There are dating sites for people who have kids, who want kids and who are afraid of kids. Anything you could possibly desire in a relationship, you can find on the Internet.
Honestly, though, how far is too far? Why have these dating sites become such a presence in our lives? Match.com's commercials claim that now one in five relationships start online. I don't know if that figure is true or not, but the figure is nonetheless more than a little disconcerting. I'm sure that I'm not the only person who is made uncomfortable by the decline of face-to-face communication and relationships that begin with getting to know a person by spending time with them. It also says something about us as a society that finding love is being turned into something that is factored by algorithms on a computer.
What happened to awkward glances across the room? What happened to flirting and getting to know each other by asking each other questions instead of being matched based upon a survey of your interests? What happened to all of that longing and sexual tension that is the fodder for so many love songs?
While I'm sure that dating sites have made many people very happy over the years, something seems very strange about finding the love of your life via Internet search. I think there's somebody out there for everyone, and if you're patient, love will come your way. If it doesn't, maybe the Internet is the best option. Especially if you're looking for a specific type, like sea captains, in which case you should try seacaptaindate.com. In all seriousness, Internet dating sites may be getting out of control in terms of their specificity and the ethical implications of some of their services as well as the potential for people lying and creating false personas. As these sites become more and more popular, it is important to remember that the Internet is in essence full of both great things and terrifying things you'll wish you'd never seen, and especially that love doesn't come easy with or without a scientific survey.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.