Monday, April 2, 2012

Online Dating and you


Dear Ellison, Heino, and Gibbs,

I enjoyed reading your article and their were many points that you hit on about the management of online self’s within an online dating world.  The way online dating has become popular recently is huge.  It is no longer a small odd market, but mainstream ideas that many people use these days. People are constantly busy working 24/7 all over the world.  The term of Weisure Lifestyle came to mind where no longer is the job 9 to 5, but all day, every day.  The life of work and leisure blend too much and this is why online dating has become so prominent lately.  Many sites hold a value to each there own.  Along with each site, the creation of a personal profile is a crucial step to self-presentation.  As you mentioned, “Self-presentation tool…it is the first and primary means one’s self during the early stages of a correspondence…”.  This is huge is regards to creating opportunities in an online dating setting.  This is your first and only way to create that impression that you would do in real world settings.  A problem that could be associated with this would be personifying attributes, which don’t really go along with the person.  Falsifying the profile data could really hurt people’s chances and make others who might be interested in your profile become less trustworthy or more investigative of the person of interest.  This a huge problem that is a major setback to online dating sites. 



Within the Baym chapters, it is noted throughout about how connections that are made online with profiles and relationships could be beneficial.  It is mentioned that these online profiles hold a sense of safety for those who might be less extroverted in the real world.  It is easier to meet more people in an online setting and have that real life first meet be more in a controlled setting.  Like I mentioned earlier, people are busy and it might help the person feel more in control of their love life.  The meeting of new people online is easier and lets those who are looking be more receptive to meeting these new people.  The ability to control how one perceives you is huge and if most people were to stay true to this within their online profile, online dating would become very, very proficient.  Baym really explains how this is a very hard problem to overcome as everyone wants to be viewed in a specific way.  Manipulating ones self-presentation happens to much within the Internet and so many people have manipulated profiles that people become slightly harder to impress because people view others with a slight skewed vision.  I think if people are taking the time out to find love online, you have to be true.  You can’t just screw others over in the beginning with false info especially on the internet where anything goes most of the time.  In all hopes, the purpose of the Internet dating to meet in person and continue a relationship that overcomes the idea of false advertising of ones self.


Carlos Feliciano 


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