Dating online has lots of stereotypes
rather than rituals, dating online is full of ideas and stereotyping that
sometimes can create some rituals fallow by the trends of our popular culture.
According to the Oxford Dictionary (2012)
a stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a
particular type of person or thing. In the online dating business stereotyping
of people is wide open. It is not
strange that people who date other people online are the target of constant attacks
by people and media of loners, strange, weird or simply people who lack personality
and can’t meet people face to face.
We can say that stereotypes are formed in
a social context through a combination of observing others, learning, and
mental processes. In popular culture stereotypes are formed in society, we as society determent what is “perfect” or the “weird” kind. Using the example of my topic I can say that it
is assimilated immediately that if you are dating online or meet your partner
online, you had some type of social issue, either you are too busy , too weird
or simply you lack of social skills has left you to the margin of others and with reduces chances of meeting
someone.
In
the context of society we can say that stereotypes have some advantages and
disadvantages. Some people say there is hardly anything good that we can say
about stereotyping, but I can say that there is appositive side to
stereotyping. Stereotypes are basically generalizations that are made about
groups. Such generalizations are necessary sometimes in order to learn about a
certain type of groups. In the present time dating online had becoming more and
more popular and little by little the stereotype of the “loner” who dates
online is starting to change to a better prospective such as a busy individual
who don’t have time to meet people face to face.
·
What theories seem to apply to your
popular culture topic?
Stereotyping for sure is the main topic applied to my theme online
dating . In the present moment society has started to move forward in accepting
online dating as a normal and formal way to meet people.
One in ten Americans have used an online dating site or mobile dating
app; 66% of these online daters have gone on a date with someone they met
through a dating site or app, and 23%
have met a spouse or long term partner through these sites. Public attitudes
toward online dating have become more positive in recent years, but many users
also report negative experiences. (Smith ,2013) .
I can only think one ritual that is almost mandatory, setting up a
profile and uploading your best pictures is a ritual and is a most do in order
to meet someone.
How
do these theories describe, analyze or evaluate the topic you have selected?
Stereotyping sometimes describe and
points out the wrong side of online dating, I will have to agree that is
not easy , I think that is even harder than meeting someone in person .
I will have to mention that back 5-10 years ago online dating was not as
popular as of today , therefore it was describe as an alternative way for a
“loner” or a “busy” individual to meet someone.
Currently online dating is evaluated in a way that has gain some
positive points in society , I think that the term stereotyping people who meet
someone online will continue to disappear to the point that would be 100%
acceptable in any society .
After analyzing my theme I can say that technology has helped online dating,
Smith (2013) mentioned “11% of internet users (representing 9% of all adults)
say that they have personally used an online dating site such as Match.com,
eHarmony, or OK Cupid. 7% of cell phone apps users (representing 3% of all
adults) say that they have used a dating app on their cell phone “ (p.2)
What
insights do you gain from applying these theories to your popular culture
topic?
After reading I can say that online dating does have some rituals,
setting up profiles, uploading pictures, sending messages to your matches,
etc. I was not even aware that all these
activities could been call rituals.
From day one I was aware of stereotyping people who date online, like I
said before, I’m a living experience of the online dating business. By
experience I can say that 8 years ago went I meet my wife in Russia, meeting
someone primarily online was seem as weird and risky.
References
Smith,
A & Maeeve Dugan (2013, October , 21). Online Dating and Relationships.
retrieved November 29,2013, from www.pewresearch.org Web Site:
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_Online%20Dating%202013.pdf
Proffitt, M (2012). Oxford
English Dictionary . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
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