What Chat Room Dating has to Offer

Through the technology of computers and the web, a distinct form of communication has sprung: online chatting. And as is typical of humans, where there are two or more gathered romance is soon to blossom from the scenario. Yet this particular scenario has very distinct parameters: communication is done through text, therefore the chatter’s physical characteristics (short or tall, blue eyes or brown eyes, skinny or plump, black or white, etc.) are not necessarily responsible for the interest of the chatter on the other side of the screen. The only characteristic that he or she has to go on is the words typed into a text box. What further distinguishes these chat relationships is that, though they are based on text just as mailed correspondence is, the communication occurs in real time. Whereas letter writers are not capable of responding the moment after the pen rests, chatters are. An actual dialogue occurs, then, and conversation begins to be replicated on the computer monitor. For example, Rockgrl52 types “Bruce Springsteen truly is the Boss!”, and Futbolstar88 instantly responds “Which of his albums do you like best?”. Mailed correspondence would not allow this real time flow of conversation, where points are brought up (Springsteen, for instance) and discussed from both sides with no lag time; both sides are “heard” as the conversation takes place.

Chat romances are still quite different than phone conversations, but there are obvious similarities. A phone conversation occurs in real time, and allows both members of the couple to respond to points and counter points as they are being spoken. Therefore, just like online chatting, the couple speaking into the receivers of their cell phones is able to carry on a dialogue that is not restricted by lags in time. Also, the phone couple is not necessarily basing their communication off of physical characteristics because they are not face-to-face--but they do hear each other’s voices. The sound of a voice can be viewed as being just as important as height, muscle tone or facial structure. The biggest difference, though, is that a couple chatting does not hear the inflections and pitch changes of the voice that a couple would through a phone conversation. So even though a romantic phone conversation follows many of the parameters of romantic chatting, it more closely resembles face-to-face conversation. Chatting, because all conversational tones must be translated through text, is still very much its own special category of romantic communication.

But why do people wish to use this form of communication for dating or romance? Although studies show that more than 73% of those who use dating chat rooms are representing themselves honestly (ComScore Networks), individuals looking for that special someone still may feel vulnerable. Therefore, chatting allows certain safety nets for relationship seekers that the other avenues simply do not. For instance, the distinct qualities of chatting allow the individual to give as much or as little personal details (career field, city or state of residence, exact age, financial status) as they wish. By having those options, the chatter is given the opportunity to carefully pick and choose not only the person, but the circumstances as to how they will enter into a dating relationship. Once that dating relationship has formed, the flexibility as to if it will remain within the realm of the virtual chat room or if it will actually turn into a face-to-face dating relationship is sill in the hands of the couple. The flexibility of chat dating, then, leaves the door of romance wide open for a variety of people and their varied needs.