Last week, while pretending to do work in the library, I overheard a conversation that caught my attention:
“Oh, he’s cute.” A girl across me says to her friend, while swiping through pictures on her phone. “How’d you guys meet?” Her friend took her phone back, looking away, seemingly embarrassed. “Oh, it’s kind of weird. We met on Tinder."
Meeting someone online. Is it actually something to be embarrassed about? In today’s day and age, we spend nearly ALL of our time online. According to telegraph.co.uk, the average teenager spends nearly 27 hours a week online. (Which is weak. I spend nearly 27 hours a DAY online. Step up your game, teenagers of the UK.) In addition, everyone we know is online.
From your friends, to your parents, to your Republican uncle from Texas that you try to forget about but he always shows up on your Newsfeed, sharing pictures of guns or trucks or whatever people from Texas like, nearly everyone you know is online. With our entire lives online, is it actually embarrassing to meet someone on there?
There has always been a stigma that online dating is a last resort type of thing. This stigma could be from the portrayal of it in the media. You know, the portrayal that only fat, creepy, sweaty men use online dating, because they can’t get laid in real life.
Or maybe it even stems from our parents telling us not to talk to strangers online because we have no idea who it could ACTUALLY be. But with the invention of Tinder, as well as other dating apps, is this stigma still relevant?
According to ExpandedRamblings.com, as of March 2015, there are an estimated 50 million users on Tinder. Currently, it’s even the 75th most popular free app on the Apple app store. With the popularity of Tinder, it completely throws the stigma that online dating is “weird” or “embarrassing” out the window. Turns out, you’re the weird one if you DON’T have a Tinder.
In addition, the Internet makes dating so much easier. Imagine going on a date, knowing nothing about the person. How awkward would it be to just go on a date with no conversation points, only knowing their name and maybe how old they are?
What would you talk about? The weather? With social media, you could easily find their Facebook and find out more about them. You could even find out if they’re a shit person who doesn’t like puppies. Think about it. You save yourself the trouble (and maybe some money) by finding this horrible fact out online instead of wasting your time on a date with them. Who doesn’t like puppies, anyways? Monsters, that’s who.
Meeting someone online doesn’t always mean dating. With social media such as Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook, it’s easier than ever before to meet people and make friends from all around the world. We're given the opportunity to communicate and meet people that we otherwise never would have spoken to. How cool is it to say that you have friends from the United Kingdom, Canada, or even Australia?
Speaking from personal experience, I've met some of my best friends online. (What’s good, Julia, Alex, and Katelyn?) Without the Internet or social media, I wouldn’t have met them It’s amazing how we can now meet friends, or even meet a significant other, with the use of the Internet.
Meeting online is nothing to be ashamed about. In today’s day and age, meeting online is a NORMAL thing. It’s something we should be proud of. Get rid of the stigma that it’s embarrassing. Instead, embrace society’s newfound love for meeting people online and have fun!
