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Elizabeth Davies on the investment security offered by internet dating in comparison with the 'pricey mating dance of the young professional'

Elizabeth Davies on the investment security offered by internet dating in comparison with the 'pricey mating dance of the young professional'
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/">Image sourced from Shutterstock.com</a>

By Elizabeth Davies

“Hey girl, can I buy you a drink?” – If you have ever met a girl at a bar, chances are that introduction, just like dinners and movies and flowers, wasn’t free.

A boy spies a girl in a bar and his interest is sparked, as a token of introduction he buys her a refreshing beverage, or two.

Whether openly admitted or not, this drink is a tiny (or not so tiny, given the price of a wine in Ponsonby) investment.

He invests the money, hoping in return, for an introduction, interaction and somewhere down the track, something more.

In no way am I implying that the girl owes the boy a return on his investment. She is not being bought. She is merely taking part in an obscure and pricey mating dance of the young professional.

Women are only too aware that they hold the power in this exchange. It’s not uncommon for girls to comment that they don’t need to buy drinks themselves, as it only takes one sly look, one glimmer of false hope, and a full glass is in hand.

The process of dating, and getting to know someone can be a strangely expensive one.

Not all young women expect to be lavished with champagne and five star meals. But if a guy doesn’t even half-heartedly reach for his wallet after you order your cheeseburger you may start looking at him a little differently.

Perhaps this is why so many young people are turning to online dating.

The online dater wants a secure investment. They want the safe, easy and admittedly cheap way of introducing yourself, having a conversation with someone and forming a basic connection before they invest money and time in a potential partner.

Online dating is no longer a dirty secret reserved for lonely divorcees or the severely socially awkward. It’s a fun and practically free environment for one young person to confidently approach another on a level playing field without unhelpful distractions.

He isn’t thinking about his disgusting rum breath, or the sweat marks on his shirt from dancing in a hot bar. She’s not concentrating on the mind numbing pain in her feet from her incredibly impractical heels. They can both txt without closing one eye and best of all they never have to change out of their track pants and that lame promotional t-shirt they got for free in 2004.

Online dating is about doing your research, learning that she’s allergic to oysters before you take her to that expensive seafood dinner, it’s about learning how to make a good investment.

When my boyfriend took me on our first real date after prolonged online conversations, he knew I already liked him, bad habits and all. After two years together we’re both confident we invested well.

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*Elizabeth Davies is a 23 year old post graduate journalism student at Auckland University of Technology. She lives with her partner in Epsom and spends her free time refurbishing vintage furniture and attempting to bake while fighting a daily battle against her bank balance. She writes a weekly article for interest.co.nz on money matters and financial struggles from a young person's perspective.

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6 Comments

Hehe, reminds me of some experiences of the late Richard Feynman, taken from Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman.

[inappropriate content. Ed ]

 

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Huh?  The writing of a Nobel Peace Prize winner on the subject of buying drinks is inappropriate and gets editied out?  Interesting.

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If I had to choose between all the money I had and love of my life it would be the easiest choice I ever made.

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And if this wasn't generally true, kidnapping for ransom wouldn't work.

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comparing a relationship to an investment - how beige.

The romance must be truly scorching.

Hows the exit strategy?

 

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Good point SK.

Isn't beige a combination of Brown and yellow?

Sounds like a match made in heaven, or at least Auckland.

By the by, here is one for you.

http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/low-turnout-results-in-lawnmower-winning-a…

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