Online Dating Using Social Media: Impacts of Online

Dating and How People Select and Build Relationships

Rachel Northrup

Overview

• Introduction

• Purpose

• Research Questions

• History

• Results

Introduction

• Online dating: Finding a romantic partner and relationship through the Internet

• Finding love• Millions of American’s hope to find love through

strategically developed dating websites • In 2011 over fifteen hundred dating websites existed, attracting

over twenty-five million users per month (Altenberg, 2012).

• America leads the way in the uptake of online dating

• Positive developed research

Purpose

• The purpose of this paper is to examine how romantic relationships are selected and built through the use of social media. This paper will also examine research behind online dating websites collecting data on a person and scientifically matching them with somebody who is compatible.

Research Questions

• RQ1: What motivates a person to try online dating?

• RQ2: How do people select and build an online relationship

• RQ3: How reliable are dating websites when matching people scientifically?

History• Online dating effects people both psychologically and

socially

• Walther’s Theoretical framework of Hyperpersonal CMC (Kang & Hoffman, 2011)

• Lack of nonverbal cues, vocal cues, physical proximity, and physical attractiveness

• Individuals can still develop relationships • Uncertainty-reduction and information-seeking behaviors play a

huge role on how online dating impacts individuals • More dating sites make people more selective

• RQ1: What motivates a person to try online dating?

• Cyber Relationship Motives (CRM) Scale there are five proposed motives that drive people to communicate online: entertainment, social inclusion, maintaining relationships, meeting new people, and social compensation (Chih-Chien & Ya-Ting, 2010).

• Then grouped into three different dimensions: adventure, escape to a virtual world, and romance

• Sense of Comfort (Kang & Hoffman, 2011).

• Removal of shyness, self-consciousness, and social anxiety • “Cyberspace, in this sense is conducive to the development of

interpersonal relationships, especially for people who may have difficulty forming relationships in person due to a lack of social skills” (Kang & Hoffman, 2011, p. 206).

Results

Results

• RQ2: How do people select and build an online relationship

• Three major consumer characteristics affecting individuals (Mikyoung, Kyoung-Nan, & Mira, 2009)

• Self-esteem• Involvement in romantic relationships • An interaction effect takes place: When individuals value romantic

relations as less important, people with low-self esteem show a more frequent use of Internet dating services than those with high self-esteem

• Sociability• Uncertainty-reduction (Pauley & Emmers-Sommer, 2007).• Anticipation makes it a challenge to uncover more information.

• Search tools• Attractiveness & annual income

Results

• RQ3: How reliable are dating websites when matching people scientifically?

• Online Dating Websites• Collect data and match them with somebody scientifically

compatible. • Found websites are not collecting enough information to

make valid a match (Finkel & Karney, 2012).• Claiming to match make using algorithms

Conclusion

• This study examined online dating in regards to what motivates a person to try online dating, how people select and build relationships online, and how reliable dating websites are when matching people scientifically

• Has become increasingly popular • Will continue to grow as technology advances

• Online dating affects each individual differently

References • Altenberg, M. (2012). Playing the Mysterious Game of Online Love: Examining

an Emerging Trend of Limiting § 230 Immunity of the Communications Decency Act and the Effects on E-Dating Websites. Pace Law Review,32(3), 922-954

• Chorng-Shyong, O., Shu-Chen, C., & Chih-Chien, W. (2011). Comparative Loneliness of Users Versus Nonusers of Online Chatting. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 14(1/2), 35-40. doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0321

• Couch, D., & Liamputtong, P. (2007). Online dating and mating: Perceptions of risk and health among online users. Health, Risk & Society, 9(3), 275-294.doi:10.1080/13698570701488936

• Finkel E., & Karney B.  (2012, Feb. 11).  The Dubious Science of Online Dating. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/opinion/sunday/online-dating-sites-don’t-match-hype.html?_r=0

• Kang, T., & Hoffman, L. H. (2011). Why Would You Decide to Use an Online DatingSite? Factors That Lead to Online Dating. Communication Research Reports, 28(3), 205-213. doi:10.1080/08824096.2011.566109

References • Mikyoung, K., Kyoung-Nan, K., & Mira, L. (2009). Psychological

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• Mu-Li, Y., & Wen-Bin, C. (2010). Looking Online for the Best Romantic Partner Reduces Decision Quality: The Moderating Role of Choice-Making Strategies. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 13(2), 207-210. doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0208

• Pauley, P. M., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2007). The Impact of Internet Technologies on Primary and Secondary Romantic Relationship Development. Communication Studies, 58(4), 411-427. doi:10.1080/10510970701648616

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• Sritharan, R., Heilpern, K., Wilbur, C. J., & Gawronski, B. (2010). I Think I Like You: Spontaneous and deliberate evaluations of potential romantic partners in an online dating context. European Journal Of Social Psychology, 40(6), 1062-1077.