nchored in our daily lives and our habits, the Internet and new connected objects question us every day a little more about our social ties in the digital age. Permanently connected thanks to our computers, our touch pads and our smart phones, our relational modes have been profoundly transformed. So how do we meet in 2021? What are the advantages and dangers of these new online relationships? Finally, how do social networks influence our vision of love?
Online relationships in 2021 — what you need to know
In the age of full connectivity, it is possible to find any person’s profile on the web. If, for example, you want to meet a cougar woman, all you have to do is join a cougar site intended for mature people and that’s it!
Here are some figures on our relationship to the internet in our daily lives:
● 85% of French people have internet access
● 95% of young people aged 18 to 24 connect every day compared to 74% for the oldest.
● A person spends an average of 1h20 a day on social networks, including 1h on mobile internet.
● 50% of people go on the internet for an average of 1h10 in the evening before sleeping.
● 1 relationship out of 3 begins via an online dating site and scientists estimate that in less than 10 years this figure will increase to 1 relationship out of 2, i.e. 50% of romantic relationships that will be built on the internet.
With these figures we better understand the current power of online relationships.
The pros and cons of online dating
So, is it a good thing to meet your love online? Or does this new way of flirting spoil the first emotions? This digital approach is above all different and brings as many advantages as disadvantages.
The benefits of online relationships:
If dating sites are so successful, it is necessarily because they have been able to overcome the limits of chance encounters. Here are the proven benefits of online relationships:
● They allow you to be in contact with the whole world: thanks to online platforms you can exchange with men and women from all over the world as well as those in your region. You meet people that your daily life would not have allowed you to discover.
● In times of pandemic and confinement, dating interfaces remain the only places where it is still possible to flirt.
● You can find profiles of very specific people: according to their sexual orientation, according to their age, according to their physique, according to their origins, but also according to their religion or their tastes. It becomes much easier to meet your ideal partner.
● More sincere exchanges: it is easier to declare one’s feelings via screen than in real exchanges.
Dating sites are an excellent tool for overcoming sentimental isolation and save considerable time in the search for a soul mate.
Disadvantages of online dating:
While online relationships strengthen social ties and offer new horizons for discovering love, it is also important to remain vigilant against fraudulent matchmaking platforms and certain scams circulating on the internet. Here are some risks of online dating:
● Falling on a fake profile
● Have your personal data stolen
● Being disappointed on the first date
● Zapping: moving from one relationship to another without ever building a lasting story.
To enjoy the benefits of online dating, it is important to understand the codes of this virtual environment.
The role of social media on the perception of people in love
The presence of the Internet in our daily lives has also given rise to new sharing platforms: social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Thanks to these social networks, we have been able to get closer to our family and our friends, but also to our often adored and inaccessible movie stars.
But the arrival of these platforms has also seen the emergence of new idols: reality TV stars and influencers who share with us every day on their page a perfect image of happiness and love. And today, many young women and young men try to resemble as much as possible these characters who sublimate reality every day. The danger of this fascination would however be for the fans to lose their authenticity and to live only by proxy.