In the constantly-innovating world of social media, is there such a thing as a true blind date anymore? It seems these days that everyone knows everyone else through a mutual friend, a family friend, a camp friend, a college friend, a home friend, and so on and so forth. Technology has influenced the lives of people exponentially. The six degrees of separation is more like the second or third degree nowadays. This can be both positive and negative, so you need to be careful, especially in the world of dating.

Social media sites are ruining the dating process. Before you go out with someone, you can look up their past and present via Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. You are literally stripping the discovery process out of dating. One of the best parts of a relationship is getting to know the other person. These different social media platforms take all of that novelty away.

It is no surprise that people are completely different than the way they choose to portray themselves on the Internet. Let’s be real — we all know your default picture is not what you really look like in person. The Internet and social media allow you to manipulate your personality and looks, so that your best traits are flaunted while your worst traits are hidden.

Dating

The miscommunication due to text messages and instant messages makes dating more confusing than ever. This is a growing problem, especially as technology continues to evolve. We are literally open books of information on the web. There is no more air of mystery surrounding someone we may be crushing on, all we have to do is look them up on Facebook.

Within five minutes, you can see a list of their interests and hobbies, you can discover what they like to read and what their past exes have looked like. As soon as you come across something that you find to be in poor taste, you can be over this crush instantaneously, without even engaging in a conversation with this person.

Back in the day, you may have had one too many tequila shots and have been documented passed out at a bar. Your future prospect is not going to want to see that, but once it’s out there on the web, it is possible to be found. Regardless if you are tagged or not, evidence of your sordid past exists and we all know the lengths some people will take their stalking to.

Social media and dating have taken a true turn for the worse with the idea of catfishing. How are we supposed to have any hope in online or blind dating with idiots like this in the world? Do you actually have nothing better to do than to endure a fabricated relationship with someone on the Internet? Do you have no moral compass that you could actually participate in something as demeaning as this?

Society has picked up on this pathetic idea and has developed technology to help protect people from this. We desire to be in love, but it can’t be at the cost of being unsafe. You cannot talk to someone for months on end online and never meet him or her in person.

SEX • ASHLEY FERN • JUN 19 EliteDaily