Dating in the 21st Century

The Benefits of Traditional Dating

The twenty-first century has brought revolutionary changes to the way the world views dating. In the past, a person who wanted to date had to physically meet the other person and set up important dates for any future meetings (Rosen et al. 2124-2130). In comparison to modern approaches to the same problem, the approach had few open options. People learned about a potential mate’s behavior in various settings in traditional dating. By attempting to retain important traditional concepts such as face-to-face communication and meeting, online dating has proven to be inferior. Traditional dating, therefore, proves to be better when considering the long-term benefits and the flexibility in intellectual and entertainment interests, and the social class.

Traditional Dating within the Same Social Class

Traditional dating is better for people in the same social class. Among other benefits, there is no need to fake one’s identity or trying to hide some of the qualities that a person may consider as unwanted (Waller 733-734). People from the same social class do not need to construct a fake hyped identity that is mostly done in the online dating (Brimeyer & William 462-467). Traditional dating within the same social class makes people be their real self and thus, the behavior in social settings cannot be faked. A proper evaluation and judgment can, therefore, be done to establish the degree of compatibility. The increased preference to date from the same social class is a trend that began to be noted in 1940s and became the rule by 1970s (Amy & Richelle). Social classes are currently key determiners of a relationship success. Meeting a person therefore in the traditional setting takes away the worry of potential lies that dominate in the modern use of technology.

Traditional Dating for People with Similar Intellectual Interests

People with similar intellectual interests prefer the traditional dating because of the various benefits that accrue. Online dating, for this group of people, can have many barriers that can only be overcome through face-to-face interaction. For example, intellectuals may prefer a faster one-on-one exchange of ideas that is not affected by barriers such as the speed of the internet. A face-to-face meeting, therefore, becomes necessary. Discussions that are purely based on intellectual subjects can turn out to be dull regardless of the participants’ degree of smartness (Collins & Stephen 644). A study conducted by Christie Hartman in 2015 revealed that almost 90% of the traditional dating of people with high IQ ended up in long-term relationships (Hartman). A need, therefore, arises to introduce humor which is at its best when all aspects such as tonal variation, the use of gestures, facial expression, and stage movements are incorporated in a traditional setting. The humor, the intellectual interests and the same level of IQ are determinants of a successful relationship.

Traditional Dating for People with Similar Entertainment Interests

The traditional dating greatly favors people who share similar interests in entertainment. They can easily tell whether there is chemistry between them in the manner that they perceive the entertainment world (Blackhart et al. 113-117). Entertainment further entails making physical appearances in events such as a cinema, theatre or even a movie store. Couples dating therefore need to physically attend the entertainment joints to evaluate their degree of compatibility. In such a case where entertainment is done together, the chances of picking the right partner based on the shared interests are said to be above 60%, according to a study carried out in (“This Particular Love Affair Is Over”). The places cannot be visited when dating online because of the physical barriers. Besides, online tours cannot serve an equal purpose and are thus rendered inappropriate in the traditional setting. Entertainment therefore requires physical and not a virtual interaction for an effective and efficient evaluation of the compatibility degree.

Conclusion

Conclusively, traditional dating is much better than online dating and cannot be phased out completely. People are found incorporating both types of dating because regardless of the technological advancements, traditional dating has superior characteristics that can be used to determine the success of a potential relationship. People in the same social class, intellectual and entertainment interests prefer this setting to achieve the intended purposes effectively. The superior aspects of the traditional will therefore continue to attract more young people who are more inclined to online dating.

Works Cited

Blackhart, Ginette C., Jennifer Fitzpatrick, and Jessica Williamson. “Dispositional Factorspredicting Use of Online Dating Sites and Behaviors Related to Online Dating.” Computers in Human Behavior, no 33, 2014, pp. 113-117.
Brimeyer, Ted M., and William L. Smith. “Religion, Race, Social Class, and Gender Differences Indating and Hooking up Among College Students.” Sociological Spectrum, vol. 32, no.5, 2012, pp.462-467.
Collins, Nancy L., and Stephen J. Read. “Adult Attachment, Working Models, and Relationship Quality in Dating Couples.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol.58, no.4, 1990, p.644.
Amy, Kristen, and Kristie Richelle. “Dating, Mating And Relating: Dating And Courtship In Modern Society.” Jrscience.Wcp.Muohio.Edu, 2017, http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/reflections/FinalArticles/DatingMatingandRelating.D.html. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
Hartman, Christie. “On Dating Your Intellectual Equal - Christie Hartman, Phd.” ChristieHartman, PhD, 2017, http://christiehartman.com/on-dating-your-intellectual-equal. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
Price, Amy. ’Married at First Sight’s Nadia says her love affair with dating sites is over’. The Courier Mail, 26 July 2017, http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/married-at-first-sights-nadia-says-her-love-affair-with-dating-sites-is-over/news-story/9e87cffeeb40961440750e94dc92f903. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
Rosen, Larry D., et al. “The Impact of Emotionality and Self-Disclosure on Online Dating Versustraditional Dating.” Computers in Human Behavior, vol.24, no.5, 2008, pp.2124-2130.
Waller, Willard. “The Rating and Dating Complex.” American Sociological Review, vol.2, no.5, 1937, pp.733-734.