The online dating trend has taken over many college campuses. However, it does not seem to be achieving its stated purpose.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably downloaded Tinder, used Tinder or know someone who uses Tinder. Online dating is a rising trend on college campuses, replacing traditional dating and heightening the risk of meeting dangerous people. According to a Statista survey, nearly 50% of young adults are on a dating site, and a Pews Research study states that 48% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have used a dating app. What does this say about millennials and Gen Zers?
Online dating is making it more difficult for us to act on the vital art of “love at first sight”. Prior to the internet and advanced technologies, people had no choice but to walk up to one another or connect via friends and relatives. If people did not walk up to strangers to make their acquaintance, the probability of meeting the same individual again would be quite slim. Now, we would rather swipe through bios that barely cover anything nor encompass the true personalities of a human soul. One of the devices aiding this purpose is right under our noses, Mizmissedconnections!
The Instagram page, Mizmissedconnections, was set up as a means for MU students to send anonymous messages to people around campus. The account has amassed a following of over 7,000 people since it was created. Messages have gone as far as residents in the Columbia, Blue Springs, Kansas City and Dallas areas. Reactions to the account are usually positive, and people love to see themselves mentioned. Even though this is not a dating app, it facilitates the concepts of an online dating service. Individuals mentioned are able to respond to a post and connect with the message’s sender.
Without this mode of anonymous communication, would there be an in-person conversation between these people?
Story continues below advertisement
Many messages posted don’t get responses because recipients do not use Instagram, are unfamiliar with the account, or are simply victims of the “spotlight effect.” This is the phenomenon where people tend to overestimate how much others notice aspects of one’s appearance or behavior.
As time has progressed, dating apps have become a medium of self-validation for the average college freshman suffering from self-esteem issues. Moving to a big college campus can be overwhelming and causes young minds in transition to fall prey to the wonders of the dating circle. Jumping into this dating pool can be daunting, and online dating offers an easier channel for acclimating to the social sphere. However, dating apps are extremely surface-level and do not, in any way, fulfill the basic checklists of meeting a person.
MU student Albertine Byemba stated her opinions about Tinder.
“I was on and off on Tinder for about a year. I did meet one person romantically, but the idea of saying I met them on a dating app threw me off,” Byemba said. “Dating online takes away from forming meaningful connections in real life. No one wants to meet people outside anymore because they can just swipe on tinder.”
Dating apps also perpetuate the objective of hook-up culture. “Hooking up” and the college experience tend to be synonymous with each other.
While that may be the intention of some people on these platforms, it completely annihilates the idea of finding a long-term partner for those who are interested. It creates doubt and further weakens inclination toward the idea of love.
Online dating services act as a sex market for its users. They are given the opportunity to swipe through their pick of candidates for potential one-night stands.
“Most of the people who succeed on Tinder have casual sex and hook-ups otherwise, too,” says Professor Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair at the Department of Psychology at NTNU.
This solidifies the new image of online dating platforms, and re-enforces its unintended purpose.
Technology has made a major impact on present-day dating compared to the past when most people first met face-to-face through friends, family, parties and so on. This is reflected in the quality of relationships now. There is no real depth to relationships, and people are less sincere about their intentions. They are willing to hide behind a screen and say whatever they want, because they believe that they cannot suffer the consequences of their texts. It is time we realize online dating is posing more harm than good.
Edited by Molly Gibbs | mgibbs@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Grace Knight and Sterling Sewell
Denise Hylton-Leetz • Mar 15, 2023 at 1:37 pm
They need to get Testimonials from the couple who met on Dating Sites. The most problems with these sites, everyone has to pay or they cannot access each other. The Owners profit from lonely people. All ages use the Apps!