Research Paper Example: The Disadvantages of Online Dating

Online dating is a common practice nowadays; there are both advantages and disadvantages of online dating (Brym and Rhonda 300). Therefore, it is always essential for an individual to ask whether the risks involved with online dating are worth. Online dating holes a lot of disadvantages as will be explored in the paper since the only interaction is online to interact with the virtual person without an assurance of having a face-to-face meeting. Some of the challenges associated with online dating are; there may be the promotion of deceit as the profile may not be the actual person, the expectation by the different parties may not be achieved, distance is always a barrier for the couple. Shoppers mentality, scammers, misleading for of attraction as the noted personalities on the profile may not necessarily portray the individual among other challenges. Therefore, based on the difficulties highlighted, it is critical for a person intending to try online dating to have full awareness before getting into this kind of dating.

Online dating has severally been blamed for offering the misleading form of attraction. During online dating, it is impossible to figure out the exact type of the attraction of chemistry to the other person. Several users of online dating upon being interviewed noted, they ended up in online dating as they logged into the online sites when they were feeling low and needed someone to talk to. By seeking online comfort, they got someone who they could share with sympathy and who could check on them from time to time (Wright 142). Therefore, as analyzed from these responses at times online dating is not geared by chemistry nor attraction but the need to talk to someone who is available most of the time. Furthermore, some of the personalities that are listed in the dating sites are different from the real people; often there is the exaggeration from some individuals which makes the people seeking companionship to be misled.

Online dating often is an expensive affair. Some dating websites do not give an individual full access to the interested party until all the dating fees have been catered for. Some sites charge up to 50-70 dollars per month (Wright 143). Despite the fact that many online sites, not the prices are that way to ensure there is security on the private chats. However, these are still high charges; online dating needs to be much uncomplicated with bear minimum charges if need be. Moreover, in the event there are charges to be done, it is only right if the allegations are done once but not consistently. Additionally, some companies track the users by offering them trial periods, but at the onset of the trial period, they ask for credit card numbers. If the individual is not careful and stops the charges when the trial period is over, the company may continue to bill the company. Thus it is essential for the online dating couples to take heed and ensure there are no unnecessary charges on the dating site. Some dating sites have defended the costs they enroll to the users by noting they always include the charges quotation on the terms and conditions on the site, but many users do not take time to read terms and conditions section.

Distance is always a barrier for the online dating couples. Highest probability the people that meet online and have a connection are in different state or countries. Dating sites have tried to minimize the distance when an individual is looking for a suitable partner but have not managed to close the gap sufficiently. Example, several places have implemented for dating couples to preferably be from the same zip code to ensure they can quickly meet as one of the compatibility interests. Unfortunately, the distance barrier is noted by many online daters to be one of the most challenging gaps to fill as the travel fees do not often come in cheap for the partners willing to see each other. Moreover, there is a bond created between couples who continuously see each other as opposed to the couples who have to wait for after a long time for them to meet.

Online dating as earlier noted can be deceitful; studies have proved some of the participants are not honest in their profile application and this result to expectations not being met by the people (Chiasson 80). Often when an individual connects with another person, they also expect their aspirations to be satisfied with full measure. Therefore, in the event these expectations are not met, there is frustration realized by the other party. Additionally, in online dating, it is not possible to get the actual feeling of the other person as they only depend on online communication with limited physical visits. Thus, many people when interaction online they try to hide many of their feelings and emotions to ensure they protect the other person from any unnecessary disappointment. Often many online dating relationships do not last after meeting in person as the person being presented are not the same from those portrayed on the online sites. Given the interactions are not physical, then the party is left to create a mental image of the other side which may not be the actual presentation of the person.

Finding perfect match is always many sites slogan which has over time been rendered questionable after the high number of breakups that happen after the meeting physically. Online dating has been blamed for being a perfect site for scammers who are looking and targeting specific persons (Bateson 157). What the scammers are known to do is they create a fake profile and input false information plus photos to target particular persons. Annoyingly, the scammers may spend even weeks trying to gain the trust of the targeted persons. After winning the confidence of the intended audience, the scammers are noted to come up with an emergency or an excuse to ensure they require the help of the target, upon being assisted they disappear with all the acquired information. Therefore, a person may be hoping and wishing to get the perfect match online but instead may be hooked up with a scammer whose intent is to cause damage to the individual. Additionally, when data is shared on the dating sites they are stored permanently, thus despite an individual deleting the profile, the information is still kept in the company database for future reference (Fiore). This makes it very easy for the scammers as they know upon hacking the system they can be able to get all the needed data. With the technology advancement and high hacking skills developing to greater heights, individuals who have the habit of sharing too much personal information may find themselves at the danger of being kidnapped or hurt as the information taken by scammers may be used against the individual in a divorce, medical, employment of in custody lawsuit.

Online dating has been blamed for creating a chopper mentality among the users. Upon logging in the site, the site generates possible matches that can be used by the person interested to date (Wright 140). Thus, this can potentially create the notion of unlimited choices, with a shoppers mentality, there is a possibility of the person getting a partner never committing to one person as they are inclined to know other people he/she can interact with. Therefore, in the invent there is a problem there is a high likelihood of being dumped and the other person picking somebody else who has less baggage. Moreover, when individuals are not able to commit to one person, there is a lot of time wasted as the person does not see the need to put forth the effort, time and commitment in one person.

In summary, despite online dating is one of the trendy catches in getting a partner, there are identified disadvantages that can make an individual not to take the risk. Some of the discussed problems of online dating are, the data is permanently stored thus can be hacked, there are scammers, distance is a barrier, shopping mentality created, deceitful information provided and expectations may not be met. Therefore, based on the identified disadvantages it is very critical for the person willing to engage in online dating to entirely be aware of both the perceived advantages and disadvantages.

Works Cited

Bateson, Deborah J., et al. "When online becomes offline: attitudes to safer sex practices in older and younger women using an Australian internet dating service." Sexual health 9.2 (2012): 152-159.

Brym, Robert J., and Rhonda L. Lenton. "Love online: A report on digital dating in Canada." MSN. ca, February 6 (2001).

Chiasson, Mary Ann, et al. "HIV behavioral research online." Journal of Urban Health 83.1 (2006): 73-85.

Fiore, Andrew Rocco Tresolini. Romantic regressions: An analysis of behavior in online dating systems. Diss. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004.

Wright, Kevin B. "Researching Internetbased populations: Advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services." Journal of ComputerMediated Communication 10.3 (2005): 100-150.