Culture
How effective is online dating?
According to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science, this is a great way to meet people, but it's unlikely you'll find a partner of your dreams.
Experts studied a large amount of information before coming to such a conclusion. “However, dating sites are especially effective for people who face work-related disabilities, for example, or this may concern single young parents, for who have very little free time, or people with a different sexual orientation,” says Eli Finkel, professor of psychology at Northwestern University. In addition, those who meet online on dating sites know in advance that the person they are chatting with is also interested in a romantic relationship, which cannot be said about an individual with who, for example, can be met in a cafe.
However, according to Finkel's findings, a typical dating site where people view profiles of people they are suitable for based on certain characteristics or values is not increases the likelihood of meeting a compatible partner. This is due to the fact that it is very difficult to judge the possibility of relationships based on “empirical” information, such as height, age, education, etc. At the same time, people often make decisions without based on on information that, according to their own statements, is important to them. For example, many people say that they value a person's kindness, but in fact, they do not look for one at all, preferring a person with intelligence. Ultimately, dating sites “connect” people based on information that is difficult to predict the success of a relationship by analyzing.
A prime example of this is similarity, which some dating sites talk about as the key to finding the right partner, and which serves as the basis for a complex recruitment algorithm. In studies of real relationships, too much similarity between partners did not guarantee the success of the union. People probably think they're more like people they like.
However, as Finkel emphasizes, this does not mean that we should stop dating online. Instead, you should only use the Internet to quickly meet a person in real life and see how suitable they are for you. You don't need to spend a lot of time studying profiles and chatting. Instead, use your profile to find people who look interesting and attractive, and then meet them to see if they're worth your attention or not.
Anyone who is ready for a quick transition from virtual to real communication will be more successful in finding the right partner, because so far no one has found an alternative substitute for real communication.