2008 Woodie Awards
Facebook: The New Face of Dating
G. Keith Evans
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Life & Times
To the uninitiated, it is a complex web of people, networks, schools and employers. To the growing crowd of Facebook members, though, the social networking site is a powerful tool for solidifying and expanding one's social circle.
Facebook is the second largest social networking site on the Internet, according to Fortune Magazine, but is gradually closing in on social behemoth MySpace.com. With about a third the number of members and amount of traffic of MySpace, Fortune predicts that Facebook will eventually secure the number one spot. Already, about 3,550 Rollins students and alumni use Facebook, and their purposes vary from professional networking, for which Facebook is popular, to dating, an activity for which Facebook is becoming renowned.
Using online resources for dating is nothing new. Technophiles were making connections across 300bp modems on local bulletin boards while Matthew Broderick was still playing wargames. Couples formed, relationships blossomed and homes were wrecked over decades, and the pace further accelerated with the advent of online dating sites in the 1990s.
Dating on Facebook is more akin to meeting people in real life. Its "network" based structure is designed to emulate real-life social circles, allowing members to join networks like "Orlando, FL" and "Rollins College." Light security on these networks also helps to keep out transients, sort of like campus security helps keep vagrants out of dorms. To join the Rollins network, for example, a member must have a working @Rollins.edu email address.
Once a member of a network, approaching a potential mate who catches one's eye is simple and perhaps easier than in real life. A quick review of a persons profile reveals their relationship status. Further study uncovers whether the person is actually interested in dating and, if so, even their gender preference. This small addition certainly helps avert at least one embarrassing scenario, even if it removes a convenient excuse.
Facebook is the second largest social networking site on the Internet, according to Fortune Magazine, but is gradually closing in on social behemoth MySpace.com. With about a third the number of members and amount of traffic of MySpace, Fortune predicts that Facebook will eventually secure the number one spot. Already, about 3,550 Rollins students and alumni use Facebook, and their purposes vary from professional networking, for which Facebook is popular, to dating, an activity for which Facebook is becoming renowned.
Using online resources for dating is nothing new. Technophiles were making connections across 300bp modems on local bulletin boards while Matthew Broderick was still playing wargames. Couples formed, relationships blossomed and homes were wrecked over decades, and the pace further accelerated with the advent of online dating sites in the 1990s.
Dating on Facebook is more akin to meeting people in real life. Its "network" based structure is designed to emulate real-life social circles, allowing members to join networks like "Orlando, FL" and "Rollins College." Light security on these networks also helps to keep out transients, sort of like campus security helps keep vagrants out of dorms. To join the Rollins network, for example, a member must have a working @Rollins.edu email address.
Once a member of a network, approaching a potential mate who catches one's eye is simple and perhaps easier than in real life. A quick review of a persons profile reveals their relationship status. Further study uncovers whether the person is actually interested in dating and, if so, even their gender preference. This small addition certainly helps avert at least one embarrassing scenario, even if it removes a convenient excuse.
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