Love & Dating | March 26th, 2024

Is Social Media The “Pee” In The Dating Pool?

By: Jasmine Dyer

In an age where swiping right has become as familiar as saying hello, the current dating pool definitely has “pee” in it. It’s clear our generation is in new territory regarding dating and relationships. Previous generations were more inclined to interact with their person of interest, but now shooting your shot is usually done through social media and dating apps. It’s become so standard that people have unrealistic expectations of what dating should be like.

Some people might not approach an attractive person in public but instead follow them on Instagram or like them on Hinge. Or they could be following a few people of interest.

Though social media and dating apps have made it easier to connect with people, it’s giving the impression that we have a wide range of partners to choose from, normalizing cheating, giving artificial perceptions of a happy relationship, and creating situational relationship debates like the overdone 50/50 misconception.

In reality, it’s all an illusion that’s easy to get lost in.

Marcus Luster, a junior transfer student majoring in architecture at FAMU, feels that social media has robbed society of genuine connection.

“Honestly, with these apps, it’s like we’re shopping for partners instead of actually getting to know people,” Luster said. “There’s always this pressure to keep looking for something better, even when you’ve already found someone you like.”

Marcus’s sentiment echoes many young adults’ frustration when caught in the endless cycle of swiping and scrolling. With a seemingly infinite array of potential partners at our fingertips, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that there’s always someone better out there. Also known as ‘grass is greener’ syndrome. 

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, BLK, and Hinge or social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and X bombard users with many options, fostering a culture of disposable relationships where commitment is often seen as optional.

Eryka Wilburn, a second-year food science student attending FSU, believes social media makes finding trustworthy partners difficult.

“With all the DMs, liking pictures and stories, and Instagram’s close friends, it’s like everyone’s just a swipe away from cheating. It’s tough to feel secure when there’s always temptation lurking, and some people will really take advantage. I prefer a guy who’s not too active on social media,” said Wilburn.

Dating and social media apps can benefit meeting new people, but sometimes I wish we could return to finding love like our parents did. Imagine going to a party, locking eyes with your crush, having a pleasant conversation, and getting their number instead of sliding in your crush’s DMs even though you’ve passed them in person hundreds of times. 

Sounds nice, right? Then again, our parents didn’t know the definition of social anxiety.

Our perception of others can be easily manipulated through the phone screen. Instead of swiping right, we need to start looking up from our screens and build genuine connections and experiences before life passes us by and those “options” disappear.

Not by consistently scrolling through curated, filtered photos and going off a vibe but by getting to know people for who they indeed are.