Dating in a Web 2.0 World
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 by Nicki
I got to thinking recently that the way people date today has changed drastically, simply because of technology. Equal rights gave way to the downfall of chivalry, and while I don’t mind opening my own door, how about the fact that it’s now kosher to text or email instead of call after the first date? What is the world coming to?
So in an effort to laugh about such nonsense that singles in 2009 lose sleep over, let’s compare what once was to what is now, shall we?
Developing a crush
Was: Meeting a guy or girl in real life, smiling flirtatiously, going up to talk to them.
Now: Seeing a theoretically-cute avatar of a suggested friend and praying they don’t use their privacy settings to their fullest potential.
Background check
Was: Ask friends around town: what’s s/he like?!
Now: Cyberstalking. Lots and lots of heavy cyberstalking. [Don't lie to yourself. You've Googled.]
First date
Was: An intimate conversation over a candlelit dinner covering everything from where you born to how much time you spend with your family today. All goes well, then maybe a movie.
Now: Reading his/her Facebook profile and learning every intimate detail about them.
Meeting the friends
Was: A casual dinner date or drinks.
Now: Friends following him/her on FriendFeed and learning every intimate detail about them.
What-might-be-someday Day Dreaming
Was: Doodling his name on your notebook.
Now: Checking that your married name will be available as your new Twitter handle. (And possibly snatching it up, just in case.)
Catching a cheater
Was: Noticing some strange credit card purchases or recurring phone number in the bills.
Now: Using Facebook’s wall-to-wall for all its (questionably intended) potential.
What do you notice has changed?
