Online Dating Vs. Offline Dating: Pros and Cons

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Introduction

About two decades ago, Match.com was launched as the initial dating site. It is a fact that online dating has existed for a while; however, in the recent past, there has been a surge in the use of online platforms in dating. For instance, an online dating site called Tinder has 8 billion subscribers. On average, subscribers in the platform spend approximately seventy-seven minutes on the app, which is a lot of time since the same users spend about twenty-one minutes on Instagram every day. In the United Kingdom, one out of five relationships begins online, and a minimum of 50% of Americans know an individual who uses online dating. Despite the boom in online dating, some critics still hold that offline dating is better that online dating. Both online and offline dating have pros and cons. Nonetheless, online dating is better than offline dating.

Presented Argument

Online dating presents various benefits to individuals. It is a fact that online dating platforms provide a pool of millions of prospective singles that one can link up with (Spira, 2013). It is estimated that in the US alone, an excess of 40 million singles have engaged in online dating (Iarawade, 2016). The Relationship Survey that was done in 2015 revealed that 22% of Australian singles linked with their partners online. Four-fifths of participants in the study also concur that it is easier to date online since one can be witty and funny because he or she has the time to ponder about the response (Iarawade, 2016). For instance, it is common to see peers seek help from their colleagues to draft a message to send to their friends in online platforms. Similarly, a study conducted by the University of Chicago revealed that an excess of one third of individuals who got married between the years 2005 to 2012 met online (Iarawade, 2016). This is a clear indication that online dating sites can be a great avenue to find matches for marriage.

Moreover, online dating has proven to work. In one study involving 20, 000 participants, it was discovered that people who met their partners online were 25% more probable to stay together compared to people who met via offline routes (Iarawade, 2016). Similarly, the research showed that people who met through offline approaches were less satisfied than individuals who met online. According to Paula Hall, this is because people who meet online are more likely to subscribe to a shared value system as well as interests, unlike in a relationship that relies on chemistry alone, which tends to depreciate over time (Iarawade, 2016). For example, you may meet a beautiful woman offline, and have a connection with her since she is beautiful; but with time, that beauty would fade, and the woman may not be exciting as it was the case.

Although online dating has proven to work, some studies have shown that online relationships do not stand the test of time. In the University of Chicago study highlighted above, it was found out that individuals who start their relationships online are 28% more probable to break up within a year, and couples who met online were thrice more likely to divorce compared to those who met face-to-face (Iarawade, 2016). It is estimated that many people believe that those who seek love online are desperate. In a study that was conducted in the US in 2005, it was found out that approximately 23% of the population believes that individuals who use online dating platforms are desperate (Iarawade, 2016). This means that those who use such sites may not have the intent to have long-term relationships with their online partners.

Consequently, from the discussion of the presented argument, it is clear that the reasoning and logic used to promote the argument is based on increased number of possible matches that online platforms present and the reality that online dating has been proven to work. However, one important issue that is not addressed and that creates a gap and weakness in the argument is the possibility of combining both online as well as offline dating. It is true that people may meet online, but ultimately, they end up meeting face-to-face. It is not clear how this has to be treated since it is a combination of the two. Despite this, the argument is solid since the sources are credible and they support the proposition that online dating is better than traditional dating. Moreover, bias is avoided by highlighting both the pros and cons of online dating.

Counter-Argument

Although online dating has become prominent in the Twenty-first Century, offline dating is a great platform that presents various benefits. In offline dating, whatever you see is what you obtain (Newman, n.d). It enables one to quickly obtain some information regarding the individual of interest. This is because it is hard for a person you meet physically to misrepresent his or her description, including attractiveness as well as body type (Newman, n.d). Offline dating allows one to interact with the individual whom he or she is interested in and whom he or she may already have some information about (Newman, n.d). For example, the individual may be a co-worker that one meets in the office daily, a person recommended by friends or a family member, a gym instructor where one goes, or an attractive salesperson in the departmental store. Due to some familiarity with the other person, online dating becomes relatively secure (Newman, n.d). Despite online dating presenting a pool of millions of prospective partners that one may date, it becomes difficult to choose one partner, and that is where offline dating has the benefit of reaching the exact person whom one is interested in.

However, offline dating limits one to a given geographical area. For instance, if a person is in Afghanistan, it is difficult to date an individual who is in the US. This is because it becomes difficult to link up with people who are far apart. Candle-lit dinner is great, but it needs one to be close (Nicholson, 2014). One also may be compelled to wait for long for that perfect moment, sometimes for several years. Nevertheless, some research needs to be conducted to find out how one benefits by meeting someone online and dating them without necessarily meeting physically and how someone who knows someone in person benefits by waiting to see him or her again when in close proximity. Moreover, personal experience in the past may create biases, values, as well as emotional influences that hinder the success of offline dating. For instance, of a man loves a given lady in the office, and later a colleague talks ill about her, he may not continue dating the woman.

Application

In my critical thinking process, I had to organize my information and structure my reasoning. I asked myself: why do people prefer online dating? What are the limitations to online dating? Similarly, to formulate my counter-argument, I had to ask myself: why is offline dating still important despite the prominence of online dating? Are there any drawbacks to offline dating? To address these questions, I had to look for information from various sources. The information helped me to find answers, which I prioritized to answer my concerns. In assessing the strength of the argument, I had to look at the statistics and studies that support my proposition. For instance, the University of Chicago study helped me to understand why online dating has become prominent in the recent times. This process can be applied to everyday life in various ways. When one needs to make a decision on what to do, more so when there are various alternatives, it is vital to consider the pros and cons. For instance, if on needs to buy an electronic equipment, such a television, he or she should make assessments of various issues, including prices, alternatives, power consumption, durability, and much more. This would help him or her to make an informed decision regarding the purchase.

Conclusion

Online and offline dating are controversial issues in the Twenty-first Century. As technology keeps improving, better ways to connect with more people have come up. This saves people the pain of seeking to meet people physically to initiate relationships. However, there are both benefits and drawbacks when it comes to dating online as well as offline. Weighing the pros and cons helps one choose the most ideal approach in his or her dating process.

References

Iarawade, C. (2016). Online dating Vs. offline dating; the pros and cons. Retrieved from: https://www.buzzfeed.com/larawade/online-dating-vs-offline-dating-the-pros-cons-2ccmk

Newman, L. (n.d). The advantages of traditional dating. Retrieved from: https://oureverydaylife.com/meet-friends-arizona-7436895.html

Nicholson, J. (2014). Pros and cons of online dating. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-attraction-doctor/201404/pros-and-cons-online-dating

Spira, J. (2013). Online dating Vs. offline dating: pros and cons. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-spira/online-dating-vs-offline-_b_4037867.html

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