The Social Influence of Online Communication

About a decade ago, Mark Zuckerberg and his other techy contemporaries set out on a journey to connect people. Just look what they’ve managed to create. Their incredible online networks have not only achieved this original goal, they have also begun to change the way we socialize. People chat, share photos and even find love online nowadays. But has the introduction of online dating sites and other networks revolutionized the way we see people when we’re looking for romantic relationships? Here are a few ideas…

More Choice, More Selective

The introduction of social networks has opened up a whole world of new possibilities. No longer are we limited to our circle of friends – a much wider public is now readily available to us online. This means far more choice and therefore more reason to be selective. It is true that people are much more picky nowadays, only dating those that tick all the boxes and waiting longer to find true love.

Higher Expectations

As a result of this newfound pickiness our expectations are also much higher when we go on the dates themselves. After all the preamble of searching online, there is more of a pressure to perform and impress on that crucial first meeting. Therefore, far more people will turn their nose up at someone if they don’t match up to expectations. After all, there are plenty more fish in the sea – or out there on the internet as the phrase should be.

Inside Info

The internet has also meant that everyone is far more open about themselves. People display far more information on their profiles for public viewing every day. This means you will know much more about people before you meet them. In the past, if someone asked you out for a drink you might only have known their name and phone number before you met up. The new system tends to make first dates a lot less awkward.

Sticking to What We Know

Online communication has also meant that we tend to stay inside our comfort zones when it comes to dating. As we know we can find people with similar interests living similar lifestyles to us, we naturally choose these people to date. This is a shame in a way as it limits the amount of random we meet, destroying the possibility of clicking with someone unlikely and being thrilled and challenged by their very different world.

Geographical Insignificance

Finally, people are becoming less bothered about obstacles such as distance. If they’ve found their soul mate online, it doesn’t matter if they live far away. This has led to a massive increase in long distance relationships. For example, London businessmen dating Leeds women is a much less unusual occurrence nowadays.

The way we form and maintain new relationships is certainly changing. It’s meant people are more determined and more likely to find someone they really share compatibility with.