Can Steemit Steamup your Love Life

As technology evolves at break-neck speed, the way people interact with each other evolves as well; witness Steemit’s meteoric rise.

If you’re currently lucky enough to be living the single life, you’re aware of how convenient technology has made it to mitigate a solitary existence and alleviate feelings of isolation. From Plenty of Fish, to Tinder, to Grindr, whatever poison suits your fancy, there exists a world of options from which to choose. One night or something long(er)-term is no matter, online dating platforms and social media have you covered.

Technology has supercharged the Call to Popularity. People do whatever it takes to go viral, to obtain likes! Steemit claims to be better: substance over superficiality. Does that claim transcend the world of online dating?

Supercharged technology allows us to garner a reasonably accurate portrait of a complete stranger simply by viewing their social media page(s), Google, and now, of course, Steemit! We can unearth what is important to a person; their political views, sense of humor, religious/ spiritual beliefs, what sort of people are their friends, how successful they are, how slutty their selfie game. All the components that showcase a person’s “life inventory” or at least what they want people to see. Putting your best foot forward and gaining popularity is the same as it was in high school, that is, not important yet desperately sought. Nothing new under the sun!

But what has changed is the sheer number of people to which we now have access and hence, the rapidity with which those same people can be discarded. All those singles (and marrieds) beckoning…so many options to explore, and so little time!

In and of itself the overwhelming quantity of ‘candy’ is not a bad thing; however, by nature it is accompanied by a lack of loyalty and commitment, the virtuous substances that are built when, together facing stressful situations and persevering.

The inevitable outcome is that contemporary dating relationships, propagated by technology, lack substance. Hold on. Before thou doth protest too much, the responsibility may be a little closer to your ‘doorstep’ than the delivery guy dropping off your new Samsung Galaxy.

We are all terrified of showing our emotional baggage lest we lose our popularity, our internet “currency.” How do we know this to be true besides the fact that we all do it? Because the moment we become even slightly aware of their junk baggage, we bounce. Why bite into that sweet candy if sour may be in the center? Surely, we think, with all the options “out there,” there will be someone who has lightweight, tolerable baggage that will complement the stuffed-to-the-brim, Ellis-Island-style-trunk we ourselves lug around.

A study done by Michigan State University showed that the breakup rate for both marital and non-marital romantic relationships was found to be higher for couples who met online than couples who met through offline venues. Why? Because when the image portrayed on social media doesn’t match up with desires and expectations, alarms sound and we are outta-there.

Social media and dating apps have set the stage. Since Instagram came on the scene, we seem to think we’re entitled to live extravagantly and proudly broadcast our extravagance to the world. See me! Look at me! I have a life so crammed with purpose and abundance that my biggest concern is whether I get a retweet from Kylie Jenner. (Tongue planted firmly in cheek.)

Is Steemit the next stage for online candy purveyors or will we risk superficiality for substance….you first!