Are Online Dating Sites Really Scientific?
UrbanTwist.com reports that the Association for Psychological Science (APS) is taking on dating sites in a study that concludes, “…the use of matchmaking algorithms by online dating sites to find singles prospective partners has found that the methods and process used are at best cosmetic.”
This does not mean that online dating is not worth the effort or that it isn't a great way to meet
people. There are a lot of things that we don't have control over—whether you meet someone in a bar or online, it is up to you have a good time on dates or make the kind of connections that you want to make.
If it is true that dating site algorithms are not exactly scientific, then "the best service the sites can offer is to simply provide that first point of contact and open the way for an offline face-to-face meet up, nothing more." But really that is a lot. Whether you spend a lot of time at work, are new in town, or just have hard time meeting people, online dating can help introduce you to new people that you might not have met otherwise.
Even if a dating site that matches you with someone is less scientific than you imagined, you need to remember that dating is a numbers game. The more potential dates you come across, the more likely you are to meet someone with whom you can go on a successful date. So if dating site science isn't all that it is cracked up to be, it's still a great way to meet a number of people.
In fact, for people who don't like the idea of associating love and romance with science, the news that dating sites aren't all that scientific may be welcome news. The New York Times also reported on the APS study and interpreted the results to mean that using a dating service is on par with going to happy hours or hoping to meet someone at the grocery store—results aren’t guaranteed but you increase your chances simply by being present.