Desperate or desirable? Perceptions of individuals seeking dates online and offline

Abstract

Past research suggests that people who use the Internet to pursue romantic relationships have been stereotyped negatively—as unattractive, desperate, or creepy. It is possible, however, that as finding dates online has grown in popularity, individuals who have themselves used online methods to meet a partner are less likely to apply these negative stereotypes than non-users. In addition, as options for dating online have proliferated, it is not clear that users of all online formats are viewed negatively, or how perceptions of users of online methods might differ from perceptions of daters using various offline methods. This study examined perceptions of those who use various online (algorithm-based, profile-browsing, or social media) and offline (meeting through family/friends, luck, groups, work, or going out) methods to meet a partner. Participants (N = 214), who were themselves users or non-users of online methods of meeting partners, were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk system to complete online questionnaires. Results indicated that participants viewed individuals who used online methods more negatively than those using offline methods; however, individuals who had themselves used online methods viewed other online users more positively than did non-users.