Oxford Institute lança pesquisa: "Meeting and Dating Online Comes of Age"

Por Pedro Couto

Algumas conclusões interessantes sobre uma pesquisa recente (14/02/2011) que aborda "A mudança global nos relacionamentos sociais dos indivíduos conectados: Encontros e namoros virtuais acontecem com a idade" (tradução livre). A pesquisa é grande, por isso resolvi destacar apenas as principais conclusões que o estudo ordena. Para quem se interessar pela análise completa, clique aqui . A pesquisa foi conduzida por uma equipe do Instituto de Internet de Oxford.

* Online dating is more prevalent among older people (40 and over) who are seeking a relationship than it is among younger (below 40) people.

* There are discernable differences cross-nationally, and across regions, in terms of dating practices, online behaviors, and Internet use. Respondents in Japan, which is known for high technology adoption, are more reluctant to embrace online dating, whereas in Brazil, which is often seen as a site of gregarious public spaces, people tend to be more comfortable with meeting people online.

* Favorable attitudes towards online dating do not depend on success at online dating, but instead are related simply to exposure to online dating activities. In that sense, like the Internet broadly, online dating is an experience technology.

 * Online dating is socially shaped. People who know others who date online are themselves more likely to date online and to approve of online dating.

* Practices vary significantly by gender and sexual orientation. While lesbians tend to show patterns that appear to be in-between men and women on most accounts, gay men show a pattern of hyper masculinity, rather than feminized masculinity - they are more open to online dating, more promiscuous, and more individualistic.

 * Around the world, hypocrisy and disapproval are common in relationships. Many spouses do activities they do not approve of their spouse doing, or that their spouse disapproves of. This is only slightly more prevalent for those who started their relationship online.

* The ways that people are seeking out partners are becoming more of a blend of offline and online networks, which has been called networked individualism, rather than simply more or less group based.