With the coinciding rise of both social networking and online dating, their intersection might not seem too far away. Dating site Zoosk even markets itself as a “romantic social network.” Zoosk is indeed social, designed to introduce you to local singles specifically interested in dating. Facebook is also social, but designed to help you interact with people you (for the most part) already know, and also carries no inherent implication of romantic interest.
Facebook seems like it’s trying to bridge this gap by offering messaging to strangers, which charges you a dollar for a chance to make a random connection. Shortly after their Pay to Message Strangers feature, Facebook also introduced the Graph Search feature that shows you who shares your common interests in your area (among other things). You both live in Tucson, listen to Muse, and watch Parks and Rec. Why not pay a dollar for a shot at love?
But here we hit a wall. Within a romantic confine, there is a certain acceptability (even necessity) of interacting with people you’ve never met. Facebook, on the other hand, is designed to keep you in touch with already established relationships, developed from face-to-face interaction. Receiving a message from a total stranger can feel like a huge invasion of privacy, especially when money comes into play.
But dig this: in a sense, Facebook already is a dating site. Or at least a site that daters use. If you meet someone at a party, for instance, you can add them on Facebook instantaneously (if you have a smartphone) or wait until you get home that night. The face-to-face interaction coupled with the wealth of knowledge you’ve gained from being their friend on Facebook allows you to determine if you’d like to follow up. And all without having to awkwardly ask for their phone number on the spot!
Facebook is very good at being a neutral social networking site. People can use it to connect with and learn about interesting people and/or long-time friends. But it may never be completely comfortable to ask out total strangers on Facebook.
