Super Awesome Dating

Social dating is the blur between online dating and social networking. Zoosk co-founder Alex Mehr at the most recent Internet Dating Conference in Beverly Hill’s predicted that online dating within social platforms would soon be more successful than traditional, stand alone dating sites.

“Everything is going to dissolve into the new social operating system such as Facebook,” said Mehr in an interview for Online Personals Watch. Zoosk, who went from zero users to 30 million users in less than two years is evident that this blending of the two can be quite a successful recipe for success and domination of this new category.

Online dating + Social networking = Social dating

But what’s the difference between online dating and social dating exactly? According to Mehr, traditional online dating is like walking into a bar alone whereas social dating is like showing up to a bar with your friends and just having fun.

“The circle of friends that are accessible to you through Facebook, and other social networks, enriches the dating experience. It makes it more fun and interactive,” said Mehr in the interview.

For example, have you ever gone to a party or to a bar with your friends hoping to find other potential singles? Yes? Well then, you have engaged in a subtle form of social dating.

The concept of social dating is nothing new, but applied to the online dating industry it creates a new category. Social dating merely transcends the traditional means of connecting with others as a result of the growing popularity of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn ect) which now permeate our romantic, platonic and professional relationships with people.

Traditionally, people met by chance, at school or work, at parties and events or through family and friends. Today, finding a date online is much more common as individuals are growing much more accustomed to meeting people online regardless of  social expectations.

The only flaw with meeting people online, however, is the inherent risk that comes with meeting someone online.  Most users are honest, but none the less, you are a stranger till you meet in person; and the lack of social filters,  can provide wary users a lack of the sense of safety and security  against online predators . Hence, the trend towards social dating, (dating in a big group) will probably gain in popularity, as it is not only fun, but acts as a barrier to entry to guys or girls that do not have any friends.

Though online dating has the capacity to introduce you to people you would otherwise never cross paths with, social dating has the capacity to filter down your dating pool to provide you with more quality options and thus, offer you far more value than a traditional dating site.

If the concept of online dating weirds you out, then you may want to consider doing a little social dating instead, or as a warm-up. Also, try to think of it more as referral-based dating. We give each other referrals all the time for good doctors, good auto repair shops or low-cost insurance, so why shouldn’t we give each other referrals for a good date?

When it comes down to it, social dating is a term to used describe a more casual way to explore your options for new relationships of any kind. It doesn’t really matter what you’re looking for exactly because in the end, social dating is really all about having fun and enjoying yourself in the process of finding your life-long friends and life-long mate. We make endless discoveries ourselves by meeting new people, interacting with them and discovering their reactions to us. If we can understand ourselves, first and foremost, then we can better understand other people and, ultimately, build stronger relationships.