Debunking Online Dating Myths
Breaking down the negative stigmas surrounding online dating
Written by Alison Stecker, Culture Staff Writer
Graphic by Sofia Irigoyen, Contributing Artist
We all dream of falling in love like Ally and Noah from “The Notebook” or Jonathan and Sarah from “Serendipity,” but not all hopeless romantics will have their Hallmark movie moment. Let’s not forget that people who meet in the most adorable ways still don’t always have their happily ever after moment. With the emergence of dating apps and social media platforms, falling in love online is more common than we may think. Although it’s not considered the “traditional” way of meeting a significant other, online dating can result in real, long-lasting relationships. There is still a lot of negative stigmas surrounding couples who meet online, so let’s debunk eight online dating myths in modern-day society.
Online dating has not killed commitment. 74% of online daters have been in more than one committed relationship compared to 49% of offline daters (Rahmanan, 2017). Therefore, people who choose to date online are more likely to commit to a relationship.
Dating apps have not ruined dating. Online daters are finding more success online than in person. 77% of people who’ve online dated report being in love compared to 67% of offline daters (Kosik, 2017).
Brains matter more than beauty. When considering potential companions, educational background was important for 96% of online daters (Kosik, 2017). Tinder users ranked appearance third for important dating factors (Kosik, 2017).
Online daters are actually better communicators than those who date offline. Offline daters are three times more likely to initiate conversations about the weather than Tinder users (Kosik, 2017). Boring! Weather is not the best conversation starter when it comes to impressing a potential love interest. Online users become masters in in-person and online communication, making them more effective communicators.
More swipes do not lead to more partners. Because online dating platforms make it easy for individuals to meet many new people at once, people assume that online daters have more than one partner at a time. Monogamous couples can emerge in online or offline relationships, so more swipes don’t necessarily lead to more companions. In fact, 93% of online daters view fidelity as an important factor in a relationship compared to 90% of online daters (Rahmanan, 2017).
Online daters are more likely to be open-minded. Showing off careers or political beliefs are frowned upon on dating apps because they are the main reason that deters companions away from each other (Rahmanan, 2017). Political disagreements are a huge reason why many relationships don’t work out. By discouraging online users from uploading their jobs or political affiliations online, online daters are more likely to be open-minded towards all points of view and engage in communication with people that they may not have offline .
Online daters are just as likely to use protection. Some people believe that online daters are less likely to practice safe sex when actually, the opposite is true. 70% of online dater practice safe sex “most of the time” compared to 63% of offline daters (Rahmanan, 2017). Online dating apps have nothing to do with the decision to use a condom. Safe sex practices are rooted in the relationship, regardless of whether you meet online or in person.
Online daters will tell their significant others ‘I love you.’ Tinder users are 5% more likely than offline daters to tell their companion they love them within the first year of dating. According to Tinder sociologist Dr. Jess Carbino, “Those who have online dated in the past are slightly more open to expressing their feelings,” (Kosik, 2017).
How you meet your significant other is overstressed and exaggerated in our society. People are more fixated on the origin of the love story rather than the individuals themselves (Torn, 2019). There are many assumptions that individuals with online dating profiles just want to hook up, but that’s not the case for everyone. Whether it's on Tinder, on the street or in the most romantic setting in the world, it doesn’t matter where or how you meet your companion, as long as you love each other.
Sources:
Kosik, A. (2017, April 23). 4 Major Myths of Online Dating and Millenials, Debunked. Brit + Co.
Rahmanan, A. (2017, April 19). Six online dating myths: Debunked. TimeOut.
Torn, S. (2019, January 27). Why Dating Apps Such As “Tinder” Are Unfairly Stigmatized. Medium.