Dating for college students has become like taking another class. Students must find the person, go on multiple dates, engage in conversation via text or dmās with them and discuss their āstatusā. For most students, there is simply not enough time during the day for this.
Between shuffling to classes, maintaining a high-grade point average (GPA) and engaging on campus via clubs or friends, students are stretched thin. Traditional dating can become a lost art.
A student from the University of Pennsylvania said in a 2013 New York Times article that she āpositioned herself in a way that I canāt have a meaningful romantic relationship because Iām always so busy and the people that I am interested in are always busy, too,ā and others agreed.
Online dating has become the main source for finding love. Students can download apps like Bumble or Tinder and simply swipe on a profile, without ever having to meet that person face to face, let alone have a conversation. The easiness of swiping takes away the emotional reaction to being rejected in person, as a user never knows who is turning them down. Users only know who is mutually interested in them.
āIt takes a lot less effort to go on your phone than try to meet people in person,ā sophomore Madison Drabick said.
Despite these new advances, students are still able to meet their respective partner in person with minimal issues. Students at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) often meet on campus due to the small size of the school.
āCouples at OWU meet through similar activities that theyāre involved in, similar classes, and maybe a handful meet online,ā sophomore Isabelle Rodriguez said.
For some students, sending a text or message is easier than talking in person. In a study reported by USA Today in 2013, approximately one-third of men (31%) and women (33%) agree itās less intimidating to ask for a date via text vs. a phone call.
Hookup culture also dominates the dating field. Students are often so busy in their daily lives that they canāt see themselves doing anything more than casually hooking upĀ with someone.
āApps like Tinder have made it to where you’re experiencing looking through playing cards of infinite potential partners,ā senior Adia Barmore said. āIt makes people believe that there’s always something better out there instead of being satisfied with what they have. It less about getting to know people and more about moving on to the next sexual conquest.ā
Online dating remains uncharted territory for some, leaving them questioning if that it can inhibit the natural chemistry people have when they meet. For most students, it seems to be a double-edged sword, something that is so ingrained into society that you must learn to use it, properly.
āI feel like with online dating you have a greater variety to meet people you’d never thought you would meet in the first place and it really expands your horizons, but then again it can be kind of sketchy, [because] you never know who someone is so they could just be hiding behind a screen,ā sophomore Jacey Sheffel said.