Dating online - the journey of the uncle

On the Internet, people use nicknames instead of real names. Because there are no physical contacts like in real life, those who seek partners online often fall into the trend of painting themselves. Some people even regret seeing me . so honest.

Robert Epstein, Ph.D. at Harvard University (USA), said that two years ago, he made an appointment to have coffee with a woman on the Internet. After a few minutes of waiting, one person came to smile brightly and said, " Hi, I'm Chris ."

But Chris was not the same as Epstein's photos. Isn't she young or older, nor does she leave a new hairstyle. The problem is that Chris and the woman in the other picture have no connection. In other words, Chris is marketing himself and for her, posting charming photos of a stranger is also a wise strategy to attract customers.

In the United States alone there are currently about 10 million people trying to find their other half online. But what percentage of the introduction of 'potential' virtual lovers? And the success rate on the Internet is more likely than traditional acquaintances? These concerns inspire sociologists to conduct research and discover many interesting things about the online love world.

Lies quickly like electricity

Chris's case is also true for thousands of people. Some 'false statements' of age, appearance, marital status, background, income and occupation. In fact, not many people care or judge lies on the Internet and also think that it is sometimes necessary, like showing off to like sports to appeal to the audience.

According to research by Boston University expert Jeana Frost in collaboration with MIT (US), 20% of online dating people admitted to lying. But when Frost asked them to estimate the 'Net' rate online, the answer was 90%. This difference is due in part to people tend to avoid speaking ill of themselves.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Hancock, a psychologist at Cornell University and Michigan State University professor Nicole Ellison, directly measured the height and weight of those who agreed to participate in the survey, then compared it. with online records. In general, almost everyone 'cheat' a few kilograms of weight and have a few centimeters in height. Ellison confirmed that this phenomenon is quite common but not too serious.

Men or 'flowers' in terms of education, income, height and marital status. Women often misrepresent their appearance, weight and age. Both factions pay special attention to appearance, so the profile of individuals lacking photos only attracts 1/4 - 1/6 of the number of people interested in the profile. And also, only 1% perceived their appearance 'inferior to the common ground'.

Expert Sara Kiesler at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) said that it is the computer screen that makes people "like what to say". They use fake names and conversations take place regardless of social rules. Moreover, participants also have good reasons to lie: men with incomes exceeding $ 250,000 will receive more than 150% of those who claim under $ 50,000, or young girls always dominates the 'upperclassman'.

The truth about virtual 'grandmothers'

Some matchmaking services claim they have reliable tests to help customers find their right partners, such as eHarmony.com website sponsored by psychiatrist Neil Warren and PerfectMatch.com expert Sociology Pepper Schwartz of the University of Washington backed . However, all of those tests have never been independently verified scientifically.

The partner search service sites are inflating the number of members. Match.com, eHarmony and Yahoo Personals claim that about 50 million Americans use their services. But a new study shows that only about 16 million people try their luck with matchmaking websites and most of them don't feel satisfied. 66% of respondents also said that online dating is a dangerous act.

Hollywood filmmakers often show images of boys and girls falling in love after a meeting at the bar. In fact, long-term relationships require much more patience. In the virtual world, that "bar" is too crowded and actions take place too quickly. One can click all the information of the object and if not, they will press the back key and access another profile.

Although there are many problems, online dating still grows steadily with revenue of 40 million USD in 2001 in the United States and is expected to expand to 600 million next year. Highlights of the first charm generation were Match, True.com and Yahoo Personal. The next two generations followed the 'scientific' test of eHarmony, PerfectMatch. Meanwhile, the third generation service is still open, probably a kind of virtual dating with special software developed by the MIT Media Lab. According to researchers at Harvard University, those who interact with each other during field trips, visiting museums or virtual cafes will be more successful when they meet in real life than people who read only listed information. .

Hai Nguyen