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Editor's Note: Kora Wilson is a page designer for the Daily News.
For many college students, the Internet is a useful tool. You can pay bills, order food, watch a movie and finish assignments all from the comfort of your bed.
You can also date.
Online dating has become a widespread experience that is bringing people closer one click at a time.
Kora Wilson, a sophomore journalism major, met her boyfriend, Korbin Records, a sophomore software development major at Ivy Tech, through OK Cupid.
Although the two have only been officially dating for a matter of days, they have known one another for roughly four months.
Neither Wilson nor Records is new to the digital dating domain. Records even said this is not the first relationship he has begun over the Internet.
“It’s not for everybody, … but it’s not something you should simply discard, because there’s a good chance there’s somebody for you,” Records said.
In the past, online dating may have seemed taboo, but according to a 2005 Pew Research Center study, 44 percent of Americans viewed online dating as a good way to meet people.
It conducted the study a second time in 2013 and found that 59 percent of Americans had a positive attitude toward online dating.
Ball State sociology professor Richard Petts explained that there are numerous factors that play a part in this shift.
“The most likely contributor is the fact that we have become so comfortable doing most things online now. … It seems to only make sense that we have become more comfortable dating online as well,” Petts said.
He also said you are able to be choosier. Thanks to technology, you are accustomed to finding the best option for just about every aspect of life, including your love life. Online dating allows you to create a filter to narrow down potential partners, bringing you one step closer to finding your soul mate.
Luckily for Wilson and Records, their families accept the fact that they met online.
“My family and friends have treated it just like any other relationship. … They love me and like [Records], so it didn’t really matter,” Wilson said.
Records said his loved ones have a similar attitude.
Although the two attend different schools, they make the distance work for them. They work around their schedules so they see each other nearly every day. When they are apart, they stay in contact by texting.
“We sort of revolve around one another, we support each other,” Wilson said.
Although the two are happy to have found each other, working their way through OK Cupid was not always easy. Both Wilson and Records said they hadn’t had much luck on the site before.
“I’ve attempted to start well over 10 relationships online, but something would normally happen. … I initially was looking for something serious, but by the time I met [WIlson], I had [begun to] give up,” Records said.
Despite the fact more than half of Americans now have a positive attitude when it comes to online dating, not everyone has had success in finding a significant other.
Austin Bishop, a sophomore telecommunications major, joined Tinder a few months ago. Though he has yet to find a relationship, Bishop remains positive.
Though Tinder has the reputation of being a hook-up app, Bishop has had a different experience with it.
“I’ve met some cool people and made some friends through Tinder, so it’s not entirely deserving of the label it has been given,” Bishop said.
Bishop said he was nervous at first, but is now more comfortable with the process. He said online dating is a lot of trial and error.
“Ideally, I’d want a serious relationship, but every relationship has to start somewhere. … I like seeing where things may go,” Bishop said.
Even though waters in the dating pool may seem rough at times, there is still hope. Petts said online dating has become the most common way people meet their spouses.
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