Is Single Virtually Lonely?
Are those sneaky social networking sites skewing the truth about singles?
I was just minding my own business today, checking my Facebook page and BOOM! There it was. This banner for an internet dating site.
"Don't be lonely for another 5 minutes!" It said, "Sign up now and meet great singles like yourself."
Umm, yes I get that these social networking sites are using your relationship status and running with it, advertising-wise, but isn't lonely a bit harsh?
They're doing the same thing on gMail, apparently - actually detecting clues about you from your emails and using ads that relate. It's clever, albeit a little creepy.
The thing is, a lot of the single people I know are so busy or distracted that they can't focus on a pursuing a new relationship at the moment. Still surrounded by family, friends and possibly an overwhelming career, yes. But lonely, they definitely are not. I can't help but wonder, if Facebook sees our single status equating to loneliness, does the rest of the world see it the same way?
Discussion
Good point. The leap of faith is being made by the advertisers who feel that given that they have to pitch to someone they rather pitch their wares to the single people...i have news for them; perhaps they would like to try the married ones who are lonely..may have a better hit rate and surprise themselves in the process.
