Can a computer find your soulmate?

Match, Catholic Match, Christian Mingle, Farmers Only, Plenti of Fish, eHarmony , Black People Meet, Bumble, Tinder: online dating has exploded. With all these options and more there's a place for everyone! What affect does this have on society? Is this the best way to find your soulmate? Does this work for everyone?

If couples are now meeting via the internet rather than mutual friends, flirtatious attempts at bars, does this lead to a different perception of self? Instead of getting dazzled up to go out for a drink with friends we now are encouraged to write out a description of ourselves and look for a mate via a brief profile or a software will recommend matches for you. This poses additional problems. The internet is already a hub for con artists pretending to be someone they aren't. The movie in class showed just one example of how easy it is to be fake on the internet. To lie about yourself, post incorrect pictures, or exaggerate the truth are just a few ways someone could deceive another,

Benefits exist for online dating as well. Time is precious, some may not have the time or choose not to spend their time going to bars, blind dates, mingle times, and social groups to try and find a partner. Online dating is convenient in that you can communicate with a larger pool of people faster. You are no longer limited to who is in a 50 mile radius of you, but rather worldwide. Chatting with a possible partner can occur in your pajamas, over lunch, or in the wee hours of the morning: in the small moments of time in your schedule.

Is this the best way to find a soulmate? I would think it depends. Plenty marriages have lasted after being started on the internet, while others have not. A relationship over the internet of in person includes common features. Flirting, sharing of yourself, constant communication- the difference is that in person you can see facial expressions, the person's body movement and how they may stumble with some questions, and their body. Via web chat or video chatting, you miss some of this. Is it harder to be yourself with the computer barrier or is it easier to tell all about yourself? Internet dating may also pose the problem of long-distance relationships. Distance is a difficult barrier and causes many relationships to end every month. If you don't have complete trust in a person (which may be very difficult with someone you've never met) not being around the person in their everyday setting could pose problems.

Internet dating poses concerns, but also addresses problems that many individuals have today. The lack of time or lack of available individuals in an area are decreased problems that internet dating cures. Concerns also rise about the authenticity of a person and the fear of increase in predators via the internet. Whether one chooses to find a life-long partner via the internet or traditional dating methods, may the odds be ever in your favor.

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