Chivalry is dead, is human interaction next?

Online dating is climbing up the popularity scale more and more. With an estimated 54 million single people in the U.S., according to statisticbrain.com, alternative methods to dating seem to have become the new norm.

There are countless numbers of online dating sites claiming to have soul mates awaiting anyone who is willing to sign up.

“I think people date online for several different reasons. A lot of people are just too busy to go out and try to meet people regularly, and it’s much more easy and convenient to do things online,” said Aaron Willett, a senior music and theory composition major.

Willett said he has tried Match.com.

Plenty of Fish (pof.com) is a free online dating website that has become quite common among college students, and ULM students are no exception.

One of the site’s allures is that it is free. Since most college students cannot afford to pay for a dating service- eHarmony.com costs about $250 for a year’s subscription- Plenty of Fish is a more sensible option.

In fact, it is so common that some students have found themselves running into other students on the site that they already know- making for some embarrassing encounters.

“I joined Plenty Of Fish. Turns out- so did a lot of people I knew. This led me to delete my account soon after actually,” said Jessica Simms, a sophomore kinesiology major.

The media have done a good job  instilling the fear of online dating to people everywhere with movies such as “Catfish” and “Hard Candy.”

Even though valuable lessons can be learned from movies about the dangers of online dating, love can make people do crazy things- like make unsafe decisions.

“If someone isn’t willing to snap a picture with his or her name and the date on it for you in this day and age of technology, alarms should be going off in your head,” said Kacie Mathieu, a senior nursing major.

Mathieu said she has tried online dating and has actually busted people creating fake profiles.

Sites may look safe and the people you meet  might seem that way too.

The computer screen is like a shield. Once that is gone, both parties involved are left vulnerable for either love or attack.

Personal discretion is generally advised when pursuing an online relationship.

For instance, Match.com openly states on their website that they do not do criminal background checks on their users.

The average length of time that people “date” before marriage is almost cut in half when the “dating” begins online instead of in person according to statisticbrain.com.

Some students feel this is not enough time to get to know someone and that dating online is a bit drastic for people as young as college students to take.

“I feel that while I’m in college I can meet someone naturally, but if I get into my thirties I would definitely try it,” said Katie Anyan, a freshman.