As the world lurches towards the end of 2020, reeling from the effects of a pandemic nobody had heard of this time last year, we are all putting our trust in technology. Technology is assisting armies of scientists to develop the vaccine and providing apps we can download that allow us to keep track of potential contacts. This sense of improving our lives can be extrapolated into so many other areas. General keep-fit. Shopping. Listening to music. But above all, our relationships. From social media to online dating, technology has been a massive influence. Has this generally been good or bad? There are surely more arguments to the former, but it’s always important to balance these with the counterpoint. With that being said, we’ve reached out to dating specialist from loveaholics and they’ve shared their views on this issue.
Convenience
Since most dating outlets now have apps along with the desktop versions, it couldn’t be any more straightforward to download your favorite app. This can then sit snugly amongst the other icons on the home screen of your smart device, accompanying you whenever you are out and about. You could be commuting to work or study, or just sitting in a park enjoying a coffee, while tapping into your account, messaging other singles. It becomes satisfying to have so much flexibility, and right in the palm of your hands.
Compatibility
Technology has made it so much easier to find Mr. or Mrs. Right. In the olden days, you had no way of knowing much about the character or motivations of the strangers you interacted with in social situations. With online dating, you can take your time browsing through as many personal profiles as you wish before getting in touch with anyone, keeping an eye out for individuals sharing your passions. Some websites might have themes you are drawn to – LGBTQ dating, same-sex partnerships, casual encounters, and so on.
Distraction
The downside with technology in relationships is that there can be so much temptation to keep abreast with what’s happening on our various social media platforms. Because these outlets can be accessed so freely, with our screens notifying us the moment there are new posts to assess, people are always being distracted by their smart devices, even if they are in the company of an actual person trying to have a live conversation. This need to be in touch can have significantly detrimental effects. Some site users will only present the best, most flattering images of themselves, encouraging false expectations.
Communications
Where technology has provided a boost for relationships is in streamlining communication. The Internet transcends international barriers, and this is especially pertinent to online dating. If singles would once have thought it fairly exotic to interact with someone from the other side of their country, now there is every chance they could strike up flirty conversations with people on the other side of the planet.
As well as contacting other site users by text messages, emails and phone calls, or all sorts of less formal ways (such as adding ‘likes’ to profiles or sending ‘winks’) they can take advantage of tech advances like video chatting. Zoom calls have come into their own in 2020, and the same methods are being embraced by site users to enjoy much more vivid connections. There’s more than that. The introduction of Virtual Reality software and hardware means couples can experience almost three-dimensional conversations. With the introduction of virtual sex toys, early 21st-century relationships are heading into the realms of science fiction!
