Online Dating 50 years after Ozzie and Harriet.

Online dating follows the gone era of Ozzie and Harriet. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet aired from 1952 to 1966. It was a reality show sitcom with the real life Nelson family. Dad, Ozzie Nelson and his wife, Harriet Nelson and their two sons, David Nelson and Ricky Nelson.  They lived in the picket fence family neighborhood, “Thorny”. Keep in mind there was housing segregation in the 50s and minorities were not moving into, “Thorny”. The dad worked and the mom was a stay at home wife and mother. A house, two kids, one dog, one car, working dad and stay at home mom.   The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, epitomized values and ideas of the American family in the 1950s. The sitcom was in black and white television until 1965.  In the 1950s and early 1960s a woman single pasted 21 years of age could carry a stigma. In the 1960s America’s social climate was changing. Examples: Viet Nam war, the war protest, Civil Rights movement, the birth control pill, women seeking employment outside of the home, women seeking higher education, man going to the moon and etc. The show was not able to keep up with the changing social values ended in 1966.

Ozzie and Harriet children and the children of that era were the Golden Baby Boomers. Baby Boomer tended not to conforms to old traditions and that included dating and marriage. The first official online dating site was registered in 1994-1995.  In 1996, there were 16 online dating sites. In 1998 the movie, “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan gave online dating a huge cultural boost. Prior to online dating and current today are personal newspaper ads, locals with similar interest meeting at city or church oriented locations.

The stigma of dating online is swiftly changing. Old stigma, online dating means you are desperate. That notion is ridiculous this is not the Ozzie and Harriet era. Technology has changed dating methods and finding friends methods. Approximately 20% of people are meeting mates online. In 2002 Myspace introduced “social networking”. Social networking has a multitude of proposes, social networking, business network, advertising, finding a mate or friend.  Despite social networking site: Myspace, Facebook and Twitter in 2007 in the USA approximately $500,000,000.00 was spent on dating online. Online dating web revenue is second only to pornography.  In general, people are still finding mates through traditional means. Online dating sites are being credited with people meeting dates and or friends. Online dating is not a passing fad but here to stay. Future estimates are that technology will become a major component or tool for people seeking  love.

Niche sites or category dating is thriving. In niche dating concentration into a group or groups examples: single dating, single parent dating, senior dating , Black dating, Latin dating, Asian dating, Interracial dating, Gay dating,  pet lovers, executive dating, date a cowboy, big and beautiful women, green dating, local dating, national dating and international dating. The lists for niche dating is extensive and a big dating time saver.

Online dating is not going anywhere and is here to stay. Technology has combined and enhanced old methods of matchmaking. Ozzie and Harriet were great in the 50s but socially dating and marriage ideals have changed and ushered in a new dating era.

Information deem reliable but not guaranteed.

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