In a 2013 study, Kwok-bun Chan and Maurice Choi examined the interactions between male and female users of the QQ application, a social media platform most commonly used in China (Chan & Choi, 2013). QQ was originally created as an instant messaging platform, but eventually transformed into another communication medium men and women can use to pursue their romantic interests. During the study, Choi and Chan interviewed various male users, focusing on their specific purposes for using the app and the strategies used to accomplish them.

 

A majority of the men reported that they purposely represented themselves in a positive way in order to appear more likable and to swoon more women. Some men encouraged kind and respectful behavior so as to make a good first impression. These men all had one thing in common: their end goal or personal desire was to find someone to be in a long-term, committed relationship with. They were not seeking sexual relations. On the other hand, some male subjects preferred to use the app strictly to acquire more sexual partners - whether virtual or in real life. Choi and Chan explain that the men specifically designed their chat questions in order to get whatever they wanted from the girls - a direct reflection of how we interact “traditionally” or via face-to-face communication. For instance, men who wanted a female companion would purposely ask questions about the other’s interests and initiate conversations to get to know her better. Men who were seeking sexual desires designed their questions to check if the woman was interested in a sexual relationship. For any woman who was hesitant to say her age or her location, these men would move on and “not waste their time,” as this was a clear indicator that the woman in question did not share the same desires.

 

Upon investigating these personalized questions, the researchers did not immediately recognize a pattern between the strategies of men and any other factor (such as their age or ethnicity). In fact, the strategies of the men depended entirely on their personal desires. In other words, the way each person plays the dating game “depends on individual preference,” or “personal taste” (Chan & Choi, 2013). In spite of its addition to the dating game, technology did not and cannot influence the men’s choice when choosing who to have conversations with. Technology is a concrete, tool. Its purpose is not predetermined. The purpose of technology is left to the hands that use it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Today, online dating platforms have become a new, convenient method of dating. While some may argue that it has negatively impacted modern-day dating, technology is merely just a physical entity that supports or feeds into the notions and societal beliefs already set in place prior to its creation. Dating websites and applications function as another tool to accomplish those same goals or desires that people already developed on their own. As stated in other aspects of our research, traditional dating strategies have not diverged from modern-day dating strategies. Individuals interested in pursuing their romantic interests still wish to present themselves in a positive way in order to be appear more “like-able” or appealing to their crush. Also, people still largely make the choice to further interact with others based on their initial attraction to the person’s physical attributes. Likewise, anyone who wishes to pursue a specific type of romantic relationship will continue to pursue that type until their personal preference changes. Online dating platforms do not have any effect on what desires any one person may have. The person simply uses technology as a tool to meet those needs at a faster and more convenient pace.