After considerable work in collecting an abundance of inputs, the data was categorized in the following ways and revealed the following trends.
Through the visual representation of the data, we are able to see that of the 25 women that responded to the survey, 17% reported they would be willing to try online dating in the future, 37% responded they would not consider the option of online dating, 42% responded they were unsure of whether or not they would try it, and 4% did not wish to respond. In viewing this data, we can observe that while online dating is becoming an increasingly popular trend, there is still a certain reluctance or uncertainty from many women when considering the possibility of online dating. The men’s input from my study revealed a slightly different outcome. Of the 19 men that participated in the study, 16% reported they would be willing to try online dating, 58% said they would not consider it, 16% responded they were unsure of whether or not they would consider it, and 10% did not wish to respond. In comparing and contrasting these results, it appears that while both men and women are not entirely optimistic towards the concept of online dating, men demonstrate a much stronger unwillingness to try it.
Yet another interesting outcome from the survey suggests that as women increase in age, their willingness to try online dating positively correlates; whereas for men, as age increases, their overall openness to the possibility of online dating decreases. In fact, one female respondent draws upon this concept in stating that online dating is “More suitable/acceptable for older people who are not in many social settings where they could meet someone.” Age certainly works to mold the experience of online dating in a rather dynamic way. It is common for many young people take the nearly equivalent ratio of men to women for granted, whereas older individuals recognize the difficulties associated with the phenomenon of women outliving men. From a statistical standpoint, women outlive men by a substantial amount of time. “In fact, among people over age 65, there are three single women for each single man” (McIntosh, W.D., et. Al., 2011). Due to such differences in life expectancy perpetuated throughout the globe, the number of eligible bachelors that are of comparable age dwindles substantially as women grow older. Whether online dating works to reduce the effects of this problematic dichotomy in the romantic availability of older men and women is unclear. However, if women and men possess different ideologies pertaining to what stages of life permit the use of online dating, a heightened sense of frustration for older people seeking intimate relationships may emerge over the course of time.
When it comes to the frequency of an individual’s Internet use, those who use the Internet more frequently demonstrate a heightened receptivity to the idea of online dating. In fact, the majority of individuals who responded in the affirmative regarding whether or not they would consider using an online dating site additionally reported they use the Internet two or more hours per day. However, that is not to be confused with the overall positive receptivity of online dating within the demographic of increased Internet use. The majority of respondents that utilize the Internet for substantial amounts of time still typically look unfavorably toward the option of online dating. While I find this trend rather shocking, such a tendency may convey that people’s paradigms centered around Internet use have not yet shifted towards utilizing the web for romantic purposes. However, the purposes with which the Internet is now commonly utilized differ greatly from that of the 1960s, when it was originally developed. As Rhonda Richardson points out in her article, “Digital Dating and Virtual Relating,” “The contemporary Internet represents a striking evolution from its modest beginnings in the 1960s as a medium to connect academic institutions and eventually American defensive facilities in the event of war” (2000). In understanding such drastic shifts in Internet use, we are able to recognize that it is viable for the Internet to transition immensely over a rather short amount of time. Taking this into consideration, I believe that heightened receptivity of online dating from frequent Internet users is just a matter of time. Before we know it, the Internet will provide a favorable medium of communication and interaction for the purposes of establishing intimate relationships.
Men and women additionally highlight different traits they would look for in another individual’s online dating profile. The data demonstrates that while women are more likely to consider age and career in a potential mate’s profile, men are more likely to focus on a woman’s physical attractiveness. Alterovitz’s publication entitled “Partner Preferences Across the Lifespan: Online Dating by Older Adults” highlights this trend perfectly in recognizing, “It is well documented that among young and middle-aged adults, men are more likely than women to value physical attractiveness in a potential mate and to describe themselves as high status, whereas women are more likely to value status and describe themselves as physically attractive” (2009). The responses to the survey I conducted align flawlessly with the information Alterovitz ascertains. However, these trends certainly contradict with other findings. As stated previously, the data suggests that women are more likely to highlight age when asked to list important traits in another’s online dating profile. In fact, four of the twenty four female respondents mentioned age as one of the three traits they would seek out in a potential mate’s online profile. This bit of information proves highly contradictory with Kaufman and Phua’s studies in which “The results suggest that ageism is still alive in date preference among men.” Although these studies reflect varying, sometimes rather contradictory, outcomes, it is inarguable that gender plays a prominent role in constructing people’s expectations for their potential online dating matches. In recognizing these trends, we are able to better understand how one’s gender affects the kind of information they seek out when partaking in online dating. Additionally, it reflects possible motivations in how people exercise their discretion when revealing certain information about themselves in their online profiles.
Finally, the responses gathered from my survey convey that men and women share some common concerns about online dating, yet harbor some other differentiated concerns, as well. Both men and women mention the potential negative aspect of deception within the context of online dating. Yet, this trend is far from unique when compared to other survey samples. In fact, such concerns are so prevalent, studies are now being conducted to establish ways of detecting deception through linguistic cues (Toma and Hancock, 2012). Such studies may prove essential for the success of online dating in the future, seeing as how “stretching the truth,” as well as direct lies, are common within the context of online dating. Moreover, one study outlined by Rosanne Guadagno in the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior suggests, “Results indicated that, compared to baseline measures, male participants increased the amount they self-presented when anticipating a future interaction with a prospective date” (2012). Although the study highlights men’s tendency to exaggerate aspects of self, lying and deception are sure to occur across both gender lines. Deception and lying are obvious causes for concern for both men and women, but the two highlight other contrasting worries within their survey responses. The data reveals that women are more likely to recognize safety concerns, whereas men are more likely to worry about an uncomfortable or undesirable experience, like a bad date. Furthermore, men are more likely to highlight the financial burden of online dating and call attention to the potential waste of money online dating can procure. These distinctions in concerns for men and women demonstrate a certain sense of gender norms perpetuated from within real time society. Women often feel the need to be concerned with issues pertaining to safety, whereas men often take on financially oriented burdens. I find it intriguing that these concerns are sustained within the world of online dating, as well.