Brittney Jones: junior in communications, has fun surfing one of the many Internet dating sites. Lindsey Davidson / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Wanted: tall, dark and handsome who likes long walks on the beach and outdoor concerts.
This is just one stereotype of online dating, but dating is a whole new ball game since the phenomenon of Internet dating services like eHarmony, Match.com and many more match people based on compatibility.
“Internet dating sites are kind of like a reassurance that you’re putting yourself into a bigger pond and a bigger ocean” said Andrew Dove, a junior in building science.
“I think people turn to these sites, not necessarily because they can’t find anybody or they’re not good at dating or not attractive or any of those things, but a lot of people get this theory that there’s somebody out there in the world for them, but it’s hard to do that from a small town.”
Are Auburn students looking to other places to meet people besides Sky Bar and math class?
“I actually have a profile online,” said Anna Benson, a sophomore in elementary education. “One day, my roommate was dying out laughing, and when I asked her why, she told me that she had just made me a profile on eHarmony, but the funny part was that I had no matches in all the Southeast.”
Some sites take the guess work out of the search. eHarmony’s original “patented Compatibility Matching System” matches users’ profiles with other singles’ profiles based on 29 key traits like values, character, intellect, sense of humor, spiritual beliefs, passion and more, according to eHarmony.com.
“I had a teacher marry her match from eHarmony, and she swears by it,” Benson said. “She is still happily married, but I would never do it by personal decision.”
On average, 90 eHarmony couples tie the knot a day thanks to the Internet site, according to eHarmony.com.
“It might be scientifical and psychological technology, but it’s not always accurate or even for everyone,” Benson said.
Why not use Facebook or Myspace to find one’s soul mate?
Privacy is one thing.
The Internet dating sites do promote a different level of privacy for users, but singles should still be safety conscience. Match.com gives some useful Internet dating dos and don’ts.
Some online safety tips include: guard one’s identity and personal information on widely viewed “profiles,” create a separate e-mail account solely for Internet dating purposes, remain anonymous with phone numbers, e-mails and names, take off an e-mail signature with personal information, and do not use a “sexy” user name because that will attract the wrong kind of people for a lasting relationship.
“I don’t think it’s completely safe because somebody could have a false identity, and you wouldn’t know whether they were telling the truth or not,” said Rachel Wilson, a senior in fashion merchandise.
Still many say they would not use Internet sites over Facebook.
“Given my point in life and age, I would use Facebook, but maybe one day I’d use an Internet site,” Dove said. “Wait no, probably not. I probably would never use an Internet dating site.”
Some people fantasize about that fateful moment when the skies open on Mr. or Mrs. Right, and Internet sites just do not fit that perfect idea.
“I would never do it just because I have always figured that I would meet my wife on a mountain top somewhere in a far away country,” Dove said.
According to research, couples married thanks to eHarmony are significantly happier, rating their marriage satisfaction at 78 percent. Where as couples married for a similar length of time and met by other means rated their marriage at 68 percent, according to eHarmony.com.
“Yea, I guess they might be statistically happier, but the concept of having a relationship and then getting married without having actually met somebody is really scary and uncertain,” Wilson said.
Maybe the new trend of finding true love via online surveys and profiles has not spread to Auburn students, but at least students are aware of the possibilities to meet new singles.
