By Sofia Baldonado
A certified matchmaker and science-based dating coach, Vanessa Antonio, unfolded a highly stigmatized discussion about normalizing online dating experience in a De La Salle University – Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) students’ event.
During the online webinar of the DLSU-D People Management Society titled, “Hyperlink: The Art of Engagements in the Digital Era”, on Saturday, October 16, Antonio immediately emphasized, in the beginning of her discussion, her take on the stigmas attached to online dating. She acknowledged the benefits that even students can gain from the dating experience.
“You know what? Before, ang laki ng stigma [on] dating apps, sasabihin, ‘ay, dating apps pang-desperate’ but no, right now, dating apps [are] being used [for] a lot of purposes. [There are] dating apps… where you can find friends and potential business partners,” Antonio stressed.
Meanwhile, Antonio also addressed the harms of online dating to inform the young adults. With the peak of online dating apps usage, some of the major risks she alerted include romance fraud, catfishing, harassment, and other forms of sexual objectification.
“Mas marami talagang cons kaysa pros sa paggamit ng dating apps, [mas] maraming risks than the potential benefits… but we know that we [use] it anyway, so we might as well learn to manage it,” Antonio stated.
Furthermore, Antonio asserted that for matchmakers and dating coaches, they value their aim to help clients have smart dating experiences, encouraging students that the dating apps serve as “practice grounds” in improving various skills.
“We (matchmakers and dating coaches) value social and dating skills because it’s (online dating) not just going to help you become smarter in choosing romantic partners, [but to also achieve] having good social skills [that] could actually help you progress in your career,” Antonio added.
A 2020 study in Statistica Research Department found that around 71% of the 16 to 24-year-olds Filipino respondents use the dating app Tinder the most, marking it as a leading dating app in the Philippines. The research also indicated that approximately 42% of the respondents from various age groups are mobile dating apps users.
