I found this topic interesting since online dating is how I found my boyfriend of over a year. It is very common now a days, but still carries a stigma along with it. Is it safe? Is it morally right? Depends on who you ask.
While reading the online dating article, I found it interesting that it is more common for younger adults to use online dating. What I found is that a reason behind this logic is that the millennial generation’s idea of love is influenced by social media, pop-cultural references, and technological advancements. Social media platforms have become a constant source of self-validation. This generation values the number of likes they get on social media. Technology now controls a lot of our emotions, which the dating industry took advantage of this.
Online dating industries cater to the younger generation because they know that they are the most acceptable to using their programs. Millennials have busy schedules, having a single platform to meet new people and form connections makes online dating apps very attractive and convenient.
I also find it very interesting that so many LGB individuals use these platforms compared to heterosexual individuals. I have discovered that this is because LGB individuals face greater challenges meeting partners any other way. It could also be because the LGBTQ+ community only makes up about 4.5% of the US population, making identifying and meeting potential partners easier online.
While researching LGB individuals using online dating I came across many sources that also talked about how they face harassments when online dating. According to Pew Research Center, these negative behaviors variety from name calling to physical threats. The statistics say that 69% of the LGB community who use online dating experience some type of harassments compared to 52% of their counterparts. The harassments includes sexually explicit messages/images they did not ask for, offensive name calling, threats of physical harm, actually physical harm. Yet, most LGB individuals have positive online dating experiences and think these sites and apps are safe.
Resources:
Leskin, P. (Feb. 6, 2020) LGBTQ adults are using dating apps nearly twice as much as straight adults, Pew study finds. Retrieved from: Insider.
Brown, A. (April 9, 2020). Lesbian, gay and bisexual online daters report positive experiences – but also harassment. Retrieved from: Pew Research Center.
Ray, S. (June 9, 2017). Why millennials are the most important user-base for dating apps. Retrieved from: yourstory.
Bloomsburg Infographics 