Arguments Against Online Dating

Online Dating

Has the contemporary movement of online dating replaced traditional dating by meeting people through family, friends, and trusted acquaintances? Advertising has led to an increase in the number of people seeking an online partner. There is even an online dating website for “farmers, ranchers, and good ‘ole country folks”. You probably have seen the commercials on television for farmersonely.com dating website which boast of having more than two million members (Stableford 1). “You don’t have to be lonely, at farmersonely.com. Then comes the catchy phrase, “City folks just don’t get it!” Stephen Winxenburg addresses how social media in the 21st Century has changed people’s view of privacy in his article “In the Facebook Era, Students

This past year the high profile murder of Ingrid Lynn’s validated the reason why people should be concerned with the safety of online dating. According to People magazine, “The Seattle mother of three whose dismembered remains were discovered in a recycling bin had begun to trust her accused killer after meeting him online nearly two months prior to the murder” (Sokmensuer 1). It is evident that there are many sick and evil people in our world and one must be extremely cautious if they decide to partake in online

Yet innocent people are so desperate for love that they continue to pay money to subscribe and share personal information with complete strangers. Winzenburg reinforces his concern about people sharing private information in his article on how social behavior has changed. “I may want to drop my jaw and scream, why are you telling this to strangers?” (Winzenburg 1). He also shares his concerns that his students are so accustomed to social media and are sharing things with the public that should really be kept private. The online dater should not just fear Mr. or Mrs. Right, but the online dating companies as well. According to The Wall Street Journal, “A lawsuit filed in December seeking class-action status in U.S. District Court in Dallas alleges that more than half the profiles on Match.com are inactive, fake, or fraudulent” (Bernstein 1). In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement against JDI Dating Ltd. in the amount of $616,165. “JDI Dating used fake profiles to make people think that they were hearing from real love interests and to trick them into upgrading to paid memberships,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the Federal Trade Commission ( ). With the abundance of fraud connected to online dating, it has made it a struggle for online dating communities to maintain