It's Complicated: Romance In A Web 2.0 World [EXPERT]

Harlequin publishing released their Romance Report and survey to find that single women still think romance and chivalry are alive and well in 2012.

The romance publisher looked at how Twitter, Facebook, Smartphone and technology has changed the way that men and women communicate with one another in matters of the heart. Their romance report card was accompanied with the grade of, “It’s Complicated.”

As seen in their Infographic, over half of the single women 18-40 who were surveyed thought technology was a positive force in the dating world. Those who skewed younger (21-24 year olds) preferred texting to calling. Taking it a step further, 43% of all respondents admitted to “sexting” – sending a text message containing suggestive and highly explicit sexual language. Though 65% of those women will “sext” only while in a serious relationship, 36% of casual daters polled admit to sending a risqué message after just a few dates.

Although 91% of those surveyed said that the rules for dating had lightened up, more than half of the women still had traditional values and wanted a long-term relationship. From being asked out by men, to holding the door open and paying for the first date, some rules remained the same. 

However, add in the dating “deal-breakers,” and Harelquin found that three out of five were technology-related. Having a too-needy guy was on the top of the list (32%) and was followed closely behind with a dependence on a mobile phone (31%), too many Facebook photos with an ex-girlfriend (29%), and those who were grammatically challenged (24%). Oh how simple it really is to untag an ex when you breakup and use spell-check during the digital courtship process. If men knew how easy it was to fix these little things, perhaps more relationships would flourish.

As for those deal-breakers, relationship expert Dr. Wendy Walsh says, “Men who are addicted to their smart phones may be too disconnected from real world relationships or may have a tech-induced attention-deficit-disorder that could impair kindness and intelligence.” Walsh added, “Men who display too many photos of themselves with their ex’s on Facebook may be showcasing their prior conquests to indicate that they are a player and out for sex rather than love.”

So what do women think is romantic? It’s not the price tag of a gift as much as remembering the small details and showing that you care. At the end of the digital day, romance is alive and well and all you really need is love.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and founder of Cyber-Dating-Expert. She creates irresistible profiles for singles on the dating scene and writes about the marriage of love and technology on Huffington Post. Julie is the author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating and The Rules of Netiquette. Follow her @JulieSpira on Twitter and at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert.