When it comes to finding romance, nearly 4% of Americans claim to have found their partners through online dating websites and social media. Digital technology has transformed many aspects of society including how we meet others and communicate with peers. However, with the increase of unlimited online dating apps, modern technology has changed the way Millennials actually show their affection towards each other.
Researchers believe that the “Paradox of Choice” suggests that having more options will make people unhappy with the choices of relationships they make. In fact, having more options allows people to jump in and out of relationships and straight towards new ones. So, does technology really help us find love, or does simply ruin the benefits of dating? Here’s how technology is changing romance.
Technology Sends the Wrong Message
For most online daters, many have admitted to using Photoshop to enhance their photos. While you might have the intentions to simply enhance the image, it can also display the wrong intentions. When you decide to post photos of yourself at the age of 18 and now 45 and trying to find a partner, these photos may be construed as misleading and untrustworthy.
Searching For Perfection on Social Media
Social media has been found to accelerate relationships for better and for worst. In fact, millennials have become so impatient with dating that we’ve begun to judge potential partners just by a quick glance at their details and photos online. On the bright side, couples are able to determine their partner’s attitude and personality simply based on their social media pages.
Infidelity is Easier to Achieve
According to studies conducted by the University of Montreal, the findings claim that nearly 41% of participants in the study had admitted to cheating on their partner, while 68% of participants had recently considered infidelity. While we cannot focus the blame on dating apps, research also tells us that over 42% of Tinder users are already in a relationship or married.
Redefining Modern Romance
In the digital age, technology isn’t necessarily killing courtship, but rather redefining what romance looks like. More couples would rather text instead of speak, FaceTime instead of meeting face-to-face, and even scan through online dating profiles as they would when reading a menu.
As we age, it is becoming a struggle to meet new people that we often resort to using what’s more convenient for us. However, the most we search for love online without any motivation to socialize in person, the more disconnected we can become.