Online dating

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Online dating is an internet service that matches sexually attracted couples using a system in which individuals can choose their partners according to such preferences as age, location and race. It is one of the most popular paid services on the Internet.

Upon joining the dating service, the users answer questions from a mandatory survey and create “profiles” of themselves. Such a profile is a webpage that provides information about a user and can be viewed by the other members of the dating service. The users indicate various demographic, socioeconomic, and physical characteristics, such as their age, gender, education level, height, weight, eye and hair color, and income. The users also answer a question on why they joined the service, for example to find a partner for a long- term relationship, or, alternatively, a partner for a “casual” relationship. In addition, the users provide information that relates to their personality, life-style, or views.

With hundreds of millions of members, Internet dating earns greater revenues than any other online subscription service. One study showed that eHarmony alone accounted for 2% of US marriages in a year, that is, 120 marriages per day. We will investigate the methodologies used by these online services in finding appropriate matches, particularly their search algorithms, but also the interfacing tools commonly used and these organizations' histories through the spread of the Internet.

Matrimonials is an ancillary concept applied mostly to international sites, with significantly more determined ends. It is interesting to view how cultures with perhaps traditional views on marriage employ non-traditional technology to facilitate it. We will introduce other relevant sociological issues, such as the cultural significance of the prevalence of online dating and how culture is altered by this prevalence.