More students are turning to social networking and online dating sites instead of the more traditional ways of finding love.
Your soul mate is just a mouse click away with dating sites such as Match.com, eHarmony and BlackPeopleMeet.com that have made the traditional first date jitters a thing of the past.
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have also created relationships that involve nothing more than sitting behind a computer screen.
Chanel Neufville, a senior English education student from Miami, was having a hard time finding someone compatible to hang out with who met her standards. She was hesitant to try online dating, but it proved to be a success.
“I met a guy on Facebook and the relationship lasted two years,” said Neufville. “It was the longest relationship I had ever been in.” She added, “I recommend online dating to all my peers because setting up profiles and having people view them takes a lot of the middle work out of relationships and dating. Their profiles give you a brief synopsis of who a person is before they even open their mouths.”
Neufville hasn’t tried any more dating sites, but she is thinking about joining BlackPeopleMeet.com because of a friend’s testimony.
“My friend just recently married a guy she has been dating for years and met on that site,” said Neufville.
Neufville isn’t in a relationship but is dating, going out and having the time of her life.
“Technology is taking away from actually going on dates,” said Quantina Washington, Assistant Director of Clinical Programs at Sunshine Manor. “It causes a disconnect.”
Washington said the number one thing she worries about with online dating is safety.
Danielle Hughes, a representative from the Duty Office at the Tallahassee Police Department, explained some of the risks of online dating.
“You don’t know the person you’re dealing with or what they look like,” said Hughes. “They could be posing as other people and may be a criminal. You run the risk of sexual assault, rape, robbery, or anything like that.”
If you decide to pursue someone online, TPD warns that nothing you see online is necessarily the truth, so don’t be so quick to give out personal information.
“I don’t think these online dating sites are for our age group,” said Weschester Junior, a third-year psychology student from Miami. “It’s more for older people who are established with goals seeking long-term relationships. College students just want something for right now.”
Junior also said he personally wouldn’t trust online dating because of the “Craigslist Killer,” a movie based on a true story about several murders connected to advertisements on Craigslist.
There are many risks to online dating, so those who use it should take necessary precaution.
With social networking sites, more students are finding their love connections and are throwing the traditional route of dating out of the window.