My Anthropological Experiment With Zoosk

Dear Zoosk,

My anthropological experiment is going well, thanks. In the past 48 hours, I have been repeatedly looked at, winked at, and even messaged several times by total strangers. However, your methods are insidious to a person with Borderline Personality Disorder (BDP).

Case in point, a little heart shows up in the message notifications on my phone every time someone meanders through my profile on Zoosk. I read about every time someone looks at me, I obsess every time, and then I am compelled to take the opportunity to look at them. What is worse, is we both know about it. However, no one bothers to say hello, wave, smile, or nod.

You have eliminated the aspect of courtesy that happens in a real world interaction. We are left to wonder, then, was I not worth a message? A person with BDP would dwell on the perceived brush-off. You have perfected the art of blatant, subtle rejection.

This game you play, or rather, we, as Zooskers play, of paying a subscription fee, then buying coins to unlock profiles to enable communication with potential mates. I liken it to going into a bar knowing that an evening is probably going to cost $50. At the end of the night, you may not have anything to show for your fishing expedition. However, at least, you left your house, you were social, and hell, you got a buzz.

Dear Zoosk, using your service I could spend $300 unlocking a mate. Then possibly have to spend $300 or more in the social song and dance of getting to know them in real time. Still, there is the possibility, maybe even the likelihood, of wasted time and money.

It is my conclusion, after 48 hours of being part of this system, that matchmaking sites are nothing more than modern day sex traffickers. We, as a society, are spending hard earned money, buying our most intimate moments. It is as though our innermost thoughts and feelings could be browsed through and purchased much like the latest sale at Macy’s, or more likely, e-bay.

Gone are the days where sex is love, my friends. Do not drink the kool-aid on that one. Sex has become a business. Love has become a business. You are a profit margin in someone’s little black book. It does not matter whether you are happy, or you are miserable, there is always someone profiting off you and your needs. Thank you very much, Zoosk. As a result of my anthropological experiment, I discovered I am perfectly happy off the grid meeting strangers on the street. Heed my advice, you should do yourself a favor and smile at the person who is buying their coffee in front of you. Forget about that little heart in your messages. Look up from your phone. You never know what might happen.

Opinion by Genevieve Kara-Tefft
Edited by Cathy Milne

Sources:

Zoosk: Online Dating; What is Zoosk
The Canadian: Online dating: Top Seven User complaints against Zoosk
Site Jabber Business Reviews: Zoosk Reviews
Tango on YouTube: The Hidden Dangers Of Online Dating by Luann Tung

Inset Image Courtesy of frankieleon’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Featured Image Courtesy of Brendon Zierer’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License