Social Media & Dating
Recently my friend and I were discussing each other’s dating life and everything that encompasses the topic. After talking about it for a while, my friend mentioned how she has not been interested in anyone she meets lately and explained that perhaps the reason her standards are so high is because of social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. She continued on by saying how the photos she had now seen of all these people on these apps has distorted her perception of beauty standards and has caused her to unconsciously seek others who resemble the same traits. After hearing this I could not have agreed more, social media has completely shaped my perception of how I see other’s and even transformed my attitudes towards dating.
It’s an interesting notion to think about how something as miniscule as a photo on Instagram or Facebook has the power to change the way people date nowadays. Since the advent of technology, the content we view online has become increasingly influential in our everyday lives. In my earlier blog posts, I stress the correlation between self-esteem and social media and how it can become detrimental if we compare ourselves too much to others. However, I had never thought about how social media could have such an effect on something like dating.
Not only has social media changed my taste in what I seek in a significant other, but it has completely revolutionized the idea of ‘dating’ in general. After speaking with my friend about this, I did a little research online and read more about the topic- and wow were there a lot of people who had felt the same sentiment as us regarding this issue.
One article I read gave a detailed list of how social media has ruined dating for a plethora of people. A few of the reasons that stuck out to me were, (1) dating has become to casual, and (2) potential companions already know so much about you from your profile. The first point, about dating becoming too casual is something that has been reiterated for years now, people (millennials) are too afraid of commitment so rather they begin to use words like “hooking up” and “hanging out.” Only further perpetuating this hookup culture that we see today. The other point mentioned in the article that I thought was interesting was the idea that you can find anything about someone online, whether that be on Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn. Nothing is private anymore, with everything made public, it is easy for a potential suitor to see your profile online and judge you based off your information and photos. Thus, they are able to determine if they are interested in you or not, before even meeting you.
Perhaps social media has increased people’s self-esteem when it comes to dating online, or perhaps it has made them feel worse about themselves. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any studies that connect the two to find a correlation, but I would be fascinated to know what effects it is having.
I conclude this blog with a question for my readers to think about. If you use social media apps like Facebook and Instagram do you think they shape the beauty standards you look for in your significant other? Also, has dating become easier or harder since the advent of these technologies?
