Victoria Maclachlan 06959236 CS5038
How has Information Technology contributed to the selective choice of individual Social Relationships?
Information technology (I.T.) deals with,
“the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and retrieve information.”
Defined by wikipedia, I.T. has contributed to our selective choice of a social relationship on an individual level. This can be seen through virtual communities, general interest site and most common dating sites. This essay will also look largely on the internet dating sites and that of matrimonial websites as well and the positive filtering that helps this process. It will go into depth about the way marital websites are changing and helping cultures. This essay will also look into why people choose to date virtually rather than in reality and whether this helps our selective choice of our social relationships. In addition the essay will look at the empowerment of shy people on the internet and the fact that it hugely increases the range and amount of people you can meet.
Virtual communities and sites of that sort are popular in most people’s everyday use; however that of internet dating is for a selection of people that use the internet for the sole purpose of beginning a relationship. It can be fairly obvious to see that online dating has enormously contributed to our social relationships, but the fact that it is extremely particular and picky due to the positive filtering, which will be mentioned later, that helps this selective process.
Online dating and matrimonial websites hugely increase social relationships in selective way; this can be seen through different methods such as positive filtering. Positive filtering means on dating websites and such like it allows you to enter personal information and then search for others similar to you. This can be based on for example; age, gender location, interests, profession, political preference, religion, or even as specific as a smoker or a non smoker, which allows people to view who they really want to.
Online dating which is known also as internet dating or a net dating service, Wikipedia defined it by,
“An example of a dating system and allows individuals, couples and groups to meet online and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship. Such services generally allow people to provide personal information, then search for other individuals using criteria such as age range, gender and location.”
On most dating sites it is possible to upload photos and videos of each other for others to look at. Additional services which are offered are web casts, online chat and message boards[1].
Online communities such as Bebo and dating sites allows people to scan and look at you, your friends, interests etc in detail. Online dating has come along way and with advancements it has been able to set up sites for even the sole purpose of getting married.
Choosing a partner over the internet can be a last resort to a lot of people. Usually people start visiting these websites by being inspired by a lot of success stories. Most people using these sites can be divorced, shy or just trying to find someone out of their business or social circle. People can find it difficult to approach others when they do not know any thing about the other person and also do not want the disappointment or refusal. However details, descriptions and photographs make this easier. This is usually why people usually meet others in the same social or business circles as there is information known about them and whether they are interested. Online dating increases the chance of someone wanting to meet you as well as you wanting to meet them. At the beginning of the dating process there is huge anonymity about the experience which empowers shy people and allows them to make moves or contact someone which they would not normally do. This anonymity also allows the “ability to control which matters we wish to reveal which allows us to safeguard our privacy while increasing emotional closeness and openness”[2]. This shows us that the selection of social relationships online can help people meet people they normally would never get the chance to, meet people they know want to meet them back and empower people to make contact with someone else. Whilst doing this it also allows people to have the ability to control privacy and then increase emotional closeness and openness.
Positive filtering allows people to enter in personal information on to these dating sites and then search for others based on other criteria which are important to them, this could be their location, age, gender and interests for example. Along with personal information photos and videos can be uploaded as well, so it is a more personal and intimate experience.
Matrimonial websites are different from dating sites as there they are geared towards meeting people for the purpose of getting married. These sites are known to be used by people who favour arranged marriage over love marriage[3]. Gross misrepresentation is less likely on these sites.
An article on ‘abc’ news looked at how online matchmaking sites like that of marital websites are changing the way of the traditional methods in finding a mate in India. The article explains the problems faced by young people today in India and how most people have to face the idea that the person that you are to spend the rest of your life with will be chosen by your friends or family. Important criteria such as religion, language spoken, education, dietary habits, social status, astrological sign, skin fairness, caste and even green card status are all significant factors in determining a partner. Having the option of these sites to find a partner on are making dramatic cultural changes as young people facing an arranged marriage will gain control of a process that has never been entirely theirs[4]. Parents will obviously still play a role in this process by approving matches however it will be done in a less active way. One quarter of the members on these sites are family and friends and there sole reason to be members is to facilitate introductions with prospective partners. These sites offer filtering tools and the chance to upload photos and videos so you can positively filter what you want in a partner, making it much easier than searching through millions of matches. By joining a matrimonial website, the main focus and outcome wanted is marriage, so these sites not only offer the selective choice of a very intimate relationship but there is culture changing as more marriage-seekers have control.
The second part of this essay will look into why people choose to date virtually rather than in reality and whether this helps our selective choice of our social relationships. An article on Love Online: A report on digital dating in Canada looked at the advantages of online dating and the reasons these sites are getting more popular. It was observed through telephone and online surveys. People were asked to evaluate possible advantages and motivations in online dating this was compared against that of other ways and means of meeting new people. The results showed that it was less stressful, less expensive, and easier to end a relationship, offers privacy and confidentiality, more certain way of meeting people that want to meet you, more convenient and online dating provides more information about people. In conclusion of these findings the report regards online dating as a highly effective means of meeting people[5], proving that dating online has contributed to the selective choice of social relationships. The report also goes on to look at face to face meetings and contacts that are a result from online dating. The results of this show that face to face meetings happen 67% of the time. They also show that if the person initiated the meeting then 36% had 1-5 contacts and 19% had 6-10 contacts however if someone else initiated it then 35% had 1-5 contacts and 31% had 11+ contacts. These results show that online dating can contribute hugely to helping our social relationships due to large numbers of people actually meeting this develops interactions, communication and then relationships.
A different article on BBC News which is more recent saw that 94% of UK online agency customers questioned saw their "e-partner" again after the first face-to-face meeting[6]. Again illustrating relationships online help contribute to our everyday social relationships. On the same article it tells us that 9% of chat room users use webcams, which is a same percentage however for that 9% of people it allows others to see who they really are and interact with them in a way that you could do in reality. Online dating and matrimonial websites also have special features and additional services that attract people to use their sites.
Dr. Jeff Gavin a psychologist stated that one in five interviewed had started a relationship lasting a year via a dating website and saw a “similar level of success to partners who had met in more conventional ways[7]. Gavin also found that male members on the website felt to be ‘more committed’ and could express their feelings in an easier way. A lot of the public think there are general dating sites but there are all sorts now, from people who want to meet beautiful people to those who want to meet someone who are obese.
After looking at a cross section of the public it is clear that there have been many success stories and a few bad ones. However opinions from people that have met others online, believe that it important to not misrepresent themselves and that way there is a larger chance of making it with someone else. Others even go as far as believing that it is a “way forward in finding a soul mate”[8]. However most of these opinions help others in the selection of a social relationship.
An article on Online Dating Service Offers Criminal Background Checks, tells us about how dating websites are introducing to their members a service which can help determine their ‘Perfect Partner’, this can be done through criminal background checks when you become a member. This assures members and helps determine that the person you are talking to is not a murderer, a sex offender or even married. Though offering these services to the public it makes online dating sites more popular and therefore develops the selection of social relationships.
In conclusion we can see that virtual communities, online dating and sites of matrimonial interest have all contributed to the selective choice of an individual social relationship. These sites offer additional services such as positive filtering, that ability to upload photos and videos, use web cams and such as Skype that make them well used and popular, resulting in more people using them and making more social relationships. This essay has seen that online dating has empowered shy people and increases the range and amount of people you can meet. The results from the online dating survey in Canada has shown significant results from online dating and show that online dating can contribute hugely to helping our social relationships due to large numbers of people actually meeting this develops interactions, communication and then social relationships.
Bibliography
1. Ben-ze’ev A. (2004) LoveOnline: Emotions on the Internet – E-Book – Cambridge University Press
2. Brym et al. (2001) Love Online: A Report on Digital Dating in Canada.
Social Relationships in Electronic Forums http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1996/jul/kling.html
3. Gardener, W. D. (2006, September 6) Online Dating Service Offers Criminal Background Checkhttp://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/192503613
4. Gavin, J. (2005, February 14) BBC News: Online dating ‘good for romance’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4250281.stm
5. Hitsch et al. (2005, January) What Makes You Click: An Empirical Analysis of Online Dating
http://www.aeaweb.org/annual_mtg_papers/2006/0106_0800_0502.pdf
6. Kling, R. (1996) Social Relationships in Electronic forums http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1996/jul/kling.html
7. Shibani, s. (2006, September 28) Love and Marriage in an Indian Marriage: Online Matchmaking Web Sites are changing the Face of Arranged Marriage in India. http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2501711&page=1
8. Wikipedia – online dating
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dating
9. Wikipedia – Information Technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology
- 7 -
[1] Wikipedia, definition of Online Dating Service.
[2] Ben-ze’ev A.(2004) LoveOnline: Emotions on the Internet Setion:Online Privacy and emotional closeness
[3] Wikipedia, definition of Marriage Websites.
[4] http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2501711&page=3
[5] Brym et al. (2001) Love Online: A Report on Digital Dating in Canada. Section: Motivations for using Online dating Services
[6] Gavin, J. (2005) Online dating ‘good for romance’
[7] Gavin, J. (2005) Online dating ‘good for romance’
[8] Ibid