Online dating has been around for over 25 years, with the first commercial matchmaking service being launched in 1995. Social media is more recent, the earliest example being Friendster, released back in 2002. Since then, both outlets have evolved, taking onboard new technologies and social trends, arriving at a position in the early 21st century where millions upon millions across the globe are active site users. Their paths will inevitably intertwine. But if you have signed up to a dating platform, how will social media affect the relationships you develop?
International barriers are broken down
Social media is terrific for allowing you to mix with people you wouldn’t normally come across in any other walk of life. Say you have a particular interest in an artist whose fanbase covers a variety of different countries. You could easily like comments or engage in discussions with someone from the other side of the globe. Developing a relationship in this way will give you the confidence required to interact with other singles on a dating sites in NYC or any other city where are you living at the moment. This aspect of the Internet – breaking down barriers – is just as relevant to modern dating as social media, with singles able to connect with a variety of site users, no matter their physical location.
Compatibility is everything
Social media creates an environment where kindred spirits can readily come across others sharing their particular tastes and passions. Facebook groups are devoted to favorite sports teams, bands you might enjoy listening to, and computer games you love playing. Instagram encourages contact with those sharing your interest in photography and many other topics. Within a few taps of your keyboard, you could be relating to people who are on the same wavelength. Fostering these relationships in your various social media platforms is an attribute that can readily be transferred to any dating application. Once you have interacted with a diverse range of people, regularly contacting them, you will have the confidence to track down like-minded individuals with more romantic motives in mind.
The past can come back to haunt
One aspect of social media that can sometimes impinge on modern dating is the way that ex-partners can track down people they were once intimate with. It could be they are doing so because they want to kindle a friendship. Or they might still harbor romantic desires. In modern dating culture, social media can disrupt relationships.
Social media can fill in a lot of blanks
One aspect of Internet dating that always lags behind the offline variety is that until you truly develop a relationship with someone, you have no way of knowing the full picture. In the early stages of contact, you are exchanging text messages with a username and pixelated images. The degree of banter and rapport might seem real enough, but only by connecting in the offline world will you gain an accurate impression of the person you’ve been connecting with. Once you’ve gleaned a person’s identity and location, it should be relatively easy to track them down on their social media. Perhaps they might share these details with you and send a friend invite. If they are still playing their cards close to their chest, you could just as easily look them up yourself. This is where you can check out photographs revealing them in social settings, or the type of people they are in the habit of interacting with. This type of activity shouldn’t be looked upon as snooping – it is merely taking an active interest as part of developing the relationship you are building.