A few years ago, I found myself in the middle of a bachelorette party where the hot topic was single men and their behavioral tendencies. Amidst plenty of giggles, many of the girls divulged how they had secretly peeped into the lives of the men they were about to meet, so as to have an upper hand when they met them in reality. I asked one of the girls whether she had dated the man she had Googled, and her reply stayed with me. She mentioned that finding out stuff about men whom you might be interested in gives you an edge – you know their strengths and weaknesses beforehand, and can make a judgment about whether you would want to go out with such a person in the future. It was a very realistic lesson for me on how much our lives were not only dependent on the search engine, but also, to a large extent, dictated by it!
Google has become a part of our lives
Whether you’re preparing for an interview or helping your child out in their school project, Google has assumed an undeniable part in our day-to-day lives. The habit of Googling anything has become so ingrained in us that we often forget there are certain things that may be outside the purview of Google; or that it might be interesting to find out about a person without Google’s help.
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
One cannot of course rule out the fact that Googling a person might in many cases give us a perspective about someone we have no idea about, and, if you were to have a relationship with that person in the future, some Googling about them definitely helps. The problem arises when someone takes Google to be the ultimate source of information for knowing a person, and bases their judgment on the person solely on the results generated by the search engine.
Google doesn’t have all the answers
The truth is that different people use the Internet in different ways – for some it may be for fun, for others it is where we air our views on matters that we find important – but in spite of what we write on the Internet, a large part of ourselves is often hidden behind a virtual barrier that can be discovered only by meeting a person and observing them over a certain period of time. This is all the more important when you’re considering the prospect of a romantic relationship and want to know the person you would like to date a little more than what you see on the surface level.
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
There is of course no denying the part that Google has played in increasing safety for women who want to be cautious before they meet a totally unknown person on a date, but having said that, assuming things only on the basis of Googling someone is perhaps not the best way to come to a conclusion about them. The catchphrase here is of course to avoid extremes of all kinds, and form a balanced opinion that is based on first-hand information as well as what you discover online.
Meeting someone in the flesh has its own charms
There are many women these days who are afraid to meet or interact with someone who does not have a presence on the Internet. This can be dangerous, because one must remember that not all information is available online – and for the information that is, not all of it might be authentic. In matters regarding dating or choosing a partner for yourself, checking out the person in reality and trusting your instincts is equally important. Apart from discovering many new facets that may not be obvious online, meeting someone in the flesh often gives us a different dimension to what we might be looking for from a prospective date. There is of course a certain charm and mystery that comes with meeting a person in real life before you have checked them out online. During such meetings, the many finer points about a person can be noticed; and for all you know, you might actually enjoy this process of discovery.
It must be remembered that the Internet is a good tool to be acquainted with a person, but if you want to dig deeper, we’d say ditch Google – who knows, you might enjoy learning about someone new in person!
Do you think googling your date is appropriate? Or sufficient to know something about a person? Tell us in the comments.
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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