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Can online relationships SPARK real relationships?

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- Caitlin Moldvay

"Societally, we are going to

increasingly

meet more of our romantic partners online as we establish more of an online presence in terms of social media.”

Source: Cailtlin Moldvay,Dating Industry Senior Analyst, USA Today

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Online relationships are a catalyst of real relationships.

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35%of married couples today met online.

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Online relationships

APPEAR

Like real relationships.

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CONNECTEDNESS

Consisting of

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sharing

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& communication.

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Online Relationships allow people to keep in

regular touch.

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Cyberspace acts as a

meeting place.

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A place where people who are

SOCIALLY ANXIOUS can practice their

SOCIAL SKILLS.

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However, online relationships do have a

DOWNSIDE.

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They are based on

limited information.

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Their brief nature prevents the

building of deep relationships.

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Messages can be interpreted the

WRONG way.

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You never know who you are truly talking to, which can

be dangerous.

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If you remember to be cautious, online

relationships can act as building blocks in the

formation of real relationships.

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A recent study revealed that online dating can lead to HIGHER marriage satisfaction.

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and lower divorce rates.

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6% when compared with

the 8% divorce rate of couples who did not meet online.

A study of 20 000 people found that the divorce rate of couples that met online was only

Source: The Huffington Post

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Online dating will continue to grow in popularity in the future.

This is only the beginning.

Sources

Jayson, Sharon. "Study: More than a third of new marriages start online." USA Today. Gannett, 3 June 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/03/online-dating-marriage/2377961/>.

Reich, Ashley. "Online Dating Leads To Higher Marriage Satisfaction, Lower Divorce Rates: Study." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 June 2013. Web. 21 May 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/online-dating-leads-to-hi_n_3384721.html>.

Taylor, Jim . "Are Online Relationships Healthy for Young People?." Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201302/are-online-relationships-healthy-young-people>.

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