The document discusses how online dating has evolved and its effects on modern relationships and social skills. It notes that while technology has made the world more interconnected, constant phone and social media use is making people unhappy and "pancake thin." It also points out that online dating has become very common, with 40 million single Americans having tried it, but raises concerns about its impact. Specifically, it suggests online dating risks replacing genuine social interaction with superficial engagement, lowers inhibitions in risky ways, and can be used more for ego-boosting than finding meaningful connections. The growing trend is seen as potentially detrimental to social skills and exposing people to deception or threats from online predators.

1. Mee#ng
your
significant
other
in
the
21st
century:
Smiling,
winking
and
nudging
without
even
leaving
your
home.

2. The
world
is
more
interconnected
than
it
has
ever
been
before
…
9/10
people
have
a
mobile
phone*
14
million
Canadians
log
onto
Facebook
every
day*
&
the
16
hours
people
are
awake
a
day,
they
check
phones
150
Fmes*

3. In
fact,
we
are
too
connected
to
each
other
–
and
its
making
us
unhappy*

4. We
have
become
so
overwhelmingly
connected
to
our
gadgets
that
we
have
become
pancake
people
–
spread
thin
across
many
plaJorms
which
demand
our
aKenFon*

5. “Of
the
54
million
single
people
living
in
the
United
States,
40
million
of
them
have
tried
online
da#ng
at
one
point
or
another.”(8)
Not
only
do
we
juggle
various
types
of
informaFon
all
day
long
using
technology
–
we
are
now
using
it
to
search
for
our
life
partners
in
all
corners
of
the
world
(7)

6. The
Size
up
“Of
those
who
are
single
and
looking,
more
than
38%
of
them
have
used
daFng
sites
or
mobile
daFng
apps
–
leaving
the
daFng
service
industry
worth
a
whopping
$2.2
Bn
in
revenue
this
year
alone”
(8)

7. Although
interacFon
online
can
strengthen
a
relaFonship,
one
must
wonder
about
the
effect
online
daFng
has
on
us,
and
on
society.

8. What
effect
are
our
new
daFng
habits
having
on
our
social
behaviours,
and
how
is
this
growing
daFng
trend
impacFng
the
way
we
meet
new
people?

9. In
addiFon,
how
can
we
expect
to
evolve,
grow
&
adapt
our
relaFonships
when
the
way
we
are
supposed
to
be
creaFng
them
is
constantly
changing?

10. …Today’s
da#ng
scene
is
the
lazy
way
around
mee#ng
people
and
it
is
affec#ng
our
social
skills
&
exposing
us
to
risky
environments

11. 1.
“Today,
resorFng
to
filling
out
quesFonnaires
to
find
someone
is
the
impaFent
and
lazy
way
out”
(6)

12. “People
are
avoiding
face
to
face
contact
by
simply
reverFng
to
their
phones
to
find
a
life
partner”
(6)

13. Instead
of
signing
up
for
a
daFng
site
to
find
a
hookup,
one
could
always
go
to
a
bar
or
somewhere
else
where
inhibiFons
are
lower.
Instead
of
signing
up
for
a
daFng
site
to
find
a
hookup,
one
could
always
go
to
a
bar
or
somewhere
else
where
inhibiFons
are
lower.
(6)

14. 2.
Online
daFng
exposes
us
to
more
risk
than
we
are
aware
of

15. There
are
mul#ple
cases
of
sexual
predators
online
&
even
murderers
–
people
are
constantly
finding
links
to
these
offenders
on
popular
da#ng
sites
(10)

16. “Many
(students)
overlook
the
fact
that
online
profiles
can
easily
contain
false
informa#on
or
lack
thereof
—
providing
misleading
informaFon
from
height
and
weight
to
an
unknown
criminal
record.”
(10)

17. 3.
People
are
using
the
online
daFng
scene
as
as
an
ego
boost
-­‐
or
a
quick
interacFon
with
someone
else
(9)

18. “Most
of
the
lazy
communicaFon
via
text
serve
4
purposes:
• To
arrange
to
get
together
(read:
hook
up)
• To
get
a
quick
ego
stroke
• To
quickly
water
her
‘aQen#on
garden’
so
that
she
would
conFnue
to
dangle
on
the
hook.”
(9)

19. What
ever
happened
to
genuine
interac#on,
courtesy,
respect,
care,
trust,
in#macy?
“These
things
are
not
dead
or
old”
(9)

20. Online
DaFng
has
evolved
from
the
users
being
those
who
are
unable
to
find
a
partner
in
real
life,
to
simply
an
“easier”
way
to
meet
people
In
many
ways,
online
daFng
serves
as
an
ego
boost
for
people,
constantly
being
showered
in
online
compliments
with
liKle
concern
for
actually
meeFng
anyone
Not
only
does
this
raise
a
concern
for
our
socializaFon
skills
in
the
future,
it
also
raises
a
safety
concern
about
online
predators

21. Sources
Course
Material:
1. The
New,
Improved
Online
Friendship.
New
York
Magazine.
2015.
By
Kyle
Chayka
[online]
2. Sorry
to
be
rude,
but
my
smartphone
needs
my
aKenFon.
The
Globe
and
Mail.
By
Leah
Eichler.
[e-­‐reserves]
3.
I
Had
a
Nice
Time
With
You
Tonight.
On
the
App.
The
New
York
Times.
By
Jenna
Wortham.
2014.
[e-­‐reserves]
4.
Impression
management
through
communicaFon
in
online
daFng.
By
Douglas
Zytko.
2014
[e-­‐reserves]or
[PDF]
5. Tinder,
the
Fast-­‐Growing
DaFng
App,
Taps
an
Age-­‐Old
Truth.
The
New
York
Times.
By
Nick
Bilton.
2014
[e-­‐reserves]
Non
Course
Material
6. “Online
DaFng
Just
Lazy
Way
around
Socializing
-­‐
The
Daily
Cougar."
The
Daily
Cougar
ICal.
4
Dec.
2013.
Web.
12
June
2015.
7. Best
UK
Tinder
AlternaFves:
5
Fiery
DaFng
Apps
You
Should
Check
Out
Today."
Lifehacker
UK.
Web.
12
June
2015.
8. Press,
Associated.
"The
DaFng
App
GeneraFon:
From
Tinder
to
Hinge,
How
Milliennials
Crave
Speed
and
Simplicity
When
It
Comes
to
Finding
Love."
Mail
Online.
Associated
Newspapers,
20
May
2014.
Web.
12
June
2015.
9. Raising
Your
DaFng
Standards:
Why
You
Shouldn't
Be
OK
with
Lazy
CommunicaFon
via
Text,
Email
Etc."
Baggage
Reclaim
by
Natalie
Lue.
18
Jan.
2011.
Web.
12
June
2015.
10. Your
Security
Resource."
The
Dangers
of
Internet
DaFng.
Web.
12
June
2015.
*
Some
stats
also
taken
from
Module
1&2
course
video