The role of social media on online dating and sustainable marriage

Abstract

The importance of dating can never be over emphasized as it is a prerequisite that should be considered before going into any form of courtship that can either lead to marriage or not. As a result of the dramatic increase in Internet usage, there has been a proliferation of numerous online dating sites that allow people to meet and date in a virtual environment. This form of socialization has been perceived by many to be either a blessing or a curse depending on individuals' opinions and experiences due to the present level of increase in divorce rate among those who are married. The study considered the perception of online dating in sustaining marriages. This study employed descriptive statistics using quantitative research methodology which involves the use of questionnaires as the research instrument and the questionnaire. Data used for the analysis were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire administered to 50 respondents in the PhD family wholeness class of 2015/2016 and the analysis was done with the help of Statistical Package Service Solution (SPSS) version 21.0. The sample size was chosen based on Convenience Sampling method. Our finding shows that 26.2% of the respondents are within 21-30 years age range, 38.1% fall into 31-40 age bracket, and 23.8% are within the 41-50 years age range. 64.3% of the respondents are married while 35.7% are single. However, 51% of the respondents admitted that dating and marrying an online friend is possible if only the person has a good heart and fears God. Furthermore, 72.61% of the respondents do not believe that online dating can lead to sustainable marriage while 27.39% of the population sampled believes otherwise. The result of the analysis evidenced that a larger percentage of the population surveyed do not accept that online dating can actually lead to a sustainable marriage. The study recommends that while people may engage in online dating, it is advisable they meet physically to become more acquainted before considering marriage.

Full text

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Abstract— The importance of dating can never be over
emphasized as it is a prerequisite that should be considered
before going into any form of courtship that can either lead to
marriage or not. As a result of the dramatic increase in Internet
usage, there has been a proliferation of numerous online dating
sites that allow people to meet and date in a virtual environment.
This form of socialization has been perceived by many to be
either a blessing or a curse depending on individuals’ opinions
and experiences due to the present level of increase in divorce
rate among those who are married. The study considered the
perception of online dating in sustaining marriages. This study
employed descriptive statistics using quantitative research
methodology which involves the use of questionnaires as the
research instrument and the questionnaire. Data used for the
analysis were collected with the use of a well-structured
questionnaire administered to 50 respondents in the PhD family
wholeness class of 2015/2016 and the analysis was done with the
help of Statistical Package Service Solution (SPSS) version 21.0.
The sample size was chosen based on Convenience Sampling
method. Our finding shows that 26.2% of the respondents are
within 21-30 years age range, 38.1% fall into 31-40 age bracket,
and 23.8% are within the 41-50 years age range. 64.3% of the
respondents are married while 35.7% are single. However, 51%
of the respondents admitted that dating and marrying an online
friend is possible if only the person has a good heart and fears
God. Furthermore, 72.61% of the respondents do not believe that
online dating can lead to sustainable marriage while 27.39% of
the population sampled believes otherwise. The result of the
analysis evidenced that a larger percentage of the population
surveyed do not accept that online dating can actually lead to a
sustainable marriage. The study recommends that while people
may engage in online dating, it is advisable they meet physically
to become more acquainted before considering marriage.
Keywords— Dating, Sustainable Marriage, Online Dating,
Courtship and Social Media
I. INTRODUCTION
ristotle, the famous Greek philosopher and Scientist once
referred to man as a social animal in the sense that man
lives in a group and they find it difficult to stray away
from that group. This does not mean that man cannot function
alone in solitude but every typical man depends on each other
to fulfill various kinds of needs. When God created man in the
beginning, he did not want him to be alone, so out from his
ribs, he created woman to be his companion, his helper and for
them to share sexual intimacy. God created the first institution
known as marriage which is clearly stated in the Holy
Scripture as a sacred union between a man and a woman;
hence, it is deeply rooted in the divine plan of creation as
evident in Genesis 2:23-24. For marriage to take place, there
has to be steps that should be taken by both parties involved.
Naturally, there has to be some form of acquaintance, getting
to know one another, the dating process, courtship and when
both parties have really known one another deeply enough,
they can now go ahead with marriage planning which should
involve their families and finally the marriage proper [1].
In the present technology savvy world where people spend a
great deal of time with their communication gadgets like smart
phones, laptops, IPad amongst others and where actual
physical communication is minutely done as a result of
people’s hectic lifestyle and dependence on gadgets especially
among the youths of marriageable age, there has to be a
medium of contact which has led to the development of
various Internet dating sites and Social network just for people
to meet, socialize and communicate among one another [2].
Advancement in technology has led to reduced cost in
accessing and using Internet facilities with various user
friendly tools being embedded in various Social networking
applications. This has led to the elimination of distance as a
barrier in relationships [3]. One of the most significant
wonders presently reshaping the world, is the worldwide
accessibility to the internet, the world wide web hence, social
media which comes in many forms, including blogs, forums,
business networks, photo-sharing platforms, social gaming,
microblogs, chat apps, and social networks. The power of
social networking is such that, the number of worldwide
users is expected to reach some 2.5 billion by 2018, around a
third of earth’s entire population [4].
According to [5], he remarked that Smartphone penetration
has risen as devices continually gets cheaper and the wireless
networks more ubiquitous and faster.
There are now 7.2 billion people on the planet and of those
the following numbers make interesting reading.
 There are just over 3 billion active Internet users (45% of
the world’s internet users)
 Nearly 2.1 billion people have social media accounts
 3.65 billion mobile users have access to the internet via
smartphones and tablets
 Close to 1.7 billion people have active social media
accounts
As at June 30, 2015, Nigeria had about 15 million monthly
active users of Facebook followed by Kenya with 4.5 million
users [6]. With this huge statistics, the medium is already in
place for people to meet easily, socialize and become
The Role of Social Media on Online Dating
and Sustainable Marriage
Izang A. Aaron1, Kasali, F. A.2, Ajayi Wumi S.3, and Adegbenjo A.4
1,2,3,4Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria
A

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acquainted online through all forms of social media, be it
dating sites, blogs, forums etc.
Online Cambridge dictionary defined online dating as the
way of starting a romantic relationship on the internet, by
giving information about oneself or replying to someone else’s
information. Online dating has gained prominence and soared
as a result of affordable internet devices and proliferation of
various dating and social networking sites but here in Nigeria,
lots of people have different perspectives and opinions when it
comes to Online dating based on diverse principles,
limitations, risks and benefits that Online dating promises,
religious and traditional beliefs in meeting a potential partner.
Hence, the motivation of this work is to explore the novel
world of Online Dating and qualitatively analyze people’s
opinions and views about Online Dating and Sustainable
Marriage. In this work, the first section gives a brief
introduction about the Marriage concept as instituted by God,
online dating and present statistics of social networking site
users both in developed countries and in Africa, the second
section talks about Marriage deeper from its objectives to
benefits, it also shed more light on what a sustainable marriage
is, Online Dating concept, benefits, risks involved and how to
minimize such risks, it talks about people’s perception and
opinions generally about Online Dating, the remaining
sections gives the methodology used in this work, Results of
findings, Conclusion and Recommendations.
A. Statement of the Problem
There has been a steady rise in the rate of divorce among
couples who are married and this continues to have adverse
impact on the family, the community of those involved and the
nation at large. For marriage to take place, there has to be a
point of contact first before courtship which may then lead to
marriage hence the need for dating. There exist many online
dating sites as a result of technological advancement and
people are using this medium to meet intending spouses
especially youths. As a result, some usually end up getting
married to their online spouses but does this usually have a
happy ending or can such marriage be said to be sustainable as
a result of some on the risks involved in choosing spouses
online. These questions and many more are the focus of this
research.
B. Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are to:
i. identify the present rate of online dating worldwide
ii. Investigate the perceived use and awareness of people
about online dating, online dating site and its various
platforms among 2015/2016 family wholeness class of
Babcock University.
iii. examine the extent of belief among 2015/2016 family
wholeness class of Babcock University that online dating
can lead to a more sustainable marriage.
C. Research Questions
i. What is the current rate of Online dating worldwide?
ii. What is the present level of usage and awareness of online
dating websites among 2015/2016 family wholeness class
of Babcock University?
iii. Can online dating lead to a sustainable marriage?
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Sustainable Marriage
Marriage expert, [7] defined marriage as a form of social
and legal contract between two matured individuals (man and
a woman as stipulated by God) that unites their lives legally,
economically and emotionally. This implies that married
couples have legal obligations to themselves in all
ramifications throughout the period of that marriage and it also
gives legitimacy to full sexual rights. [8] Also defined
marriage as a formal and legal union of a man and a woman
by which they become husband and wife. Some of the
characteristics of marriage as highlighted by [9] in their book
“Become a Better Family” are listed below:
 It is a divine Institution originated by God (Gen. 1:31)
 There should be oneness in marriage (Matt. 19:4-6)
 There should be permanence in marriage (Mark 10:2-9)
 Sexual Intimacy must exist among married couples (Gen.
2:24)
 Marriage is heterogeneous i.e., it should between a man
and a woman (Matt. 19:4, 5)
 There is partnership in marriage (Eph. 5:21-28)
God created marriage for procreation, mutual assistance,
socialization, for bringing up children in a peaceful and happy
environment and marriage is for companionship.
For a marriage to be termed viable or sustainable, it does not
mean a marriage that has stood the test of time over a long
period because couples can choose to be together for the sake
of their children, for financial and religious reasons yet still be
very miserable. A sustainable marriage is the marriage that has
stood the test of time and in which both partners are still
strong in love and mutual respect for one another. They do all
they can to stay happy together and in God’s love. They can
weather any storm no matter how dark or dangerous it seems,
they understand the concept of marriage and are very loyal to
their marital vows. [10] explored some factors that ensure
sustainability of marriage and they also found out the extent to
which these measures contribute to stable marriages by using
140 respondents and from the analysis of the measuring tool,
they were able to conclude that love, understanding,
acceptance, respect for one another and commitment to the
marriage are all factors that ensure a sustainable marriage.
Suffix it to say that if couples are well acquainted, they got
married for all the right reasons, have the fear of God, adhere
strictly to the biblical principles of marriage, love one another
unconditionally according to the gifts of the holy spirit then,
that marriage will be sustainable.
One of the most important activity which has to take place
before marriage can occur between a man and a woman is
meeting and getting acquainted. A couple has to know one
another very well in all areas and they have to be compatible
emotionally, spiritually, physically, intellectually and the

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families have to be very involved in this process especially in
Africa before marriage can take place. In a dynamic
technological and hectic world where people now spend more
time with their devices rather than physical interaction, this
has led to the development of various social media and dating
sites where people especially the younger generations can
meet and become acquainted through the use of internet which
has become so affordable. Various social media platforms
where people meet online includes Facebook, twitter,
Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, Bebo, Buzznet, microblogs, wikis,
WhatsApp, skype amongst others.
B. Online Dating
The first Internet dating sites originated in the mid-nineties
and allowed users to create a profile and search for matches.
Internet dating sites went on to introduce more options for
communication such as instant messaging and webcam based
video dating. Some sites introduced more comprehensive
character profiling questionnaires [11]. The main objective of
Online Dating is to contact an individual over the Internet with
the intention of developing a personal, romantic or sexual
relationship through the use of cell phones or laptops. The
Statistics given in the first Chapter of this article showed the
extent and growth of Social network users in the world. Some
prominent dating sites in Nigeria include soulsingles.com,
Badoo, Naijaplanet, Friendite, SexyNaija, Meet Nigerians,
Tinder and so many others including options for Muslims and
Christians dating sites.
As a result of technology that has infiltrated into our
everyday lives, meeting physically amongst youths either in
churches, parties, schools and other areas have been replaced
by meeting Online. Love cards and messages has been
replaced by text messages, pings, smiley symbols and physical
meetings have been replaced by Video conferencing, skype
and other streaming platforms available online. The internet is
remodeling the world of love and romance by playing the role
of matchmakers. Stakeholders of various dating sites are
getting richer by the day as a result of youths fascination with
dating sites as [12] reiterated that Dating sites in the U.S. are
expected to make $1.17 billion and dating apps are expected to
log $628.8 million this year, up from $1.08 billion for dating
sites and $572 million for dating apps in 2014, according to
IBISWorld. Recent studies reveal that digital dating is the
second most common way that couples get together, after
meeting through friends. In United States of America, 10
Americans were said to have used an online dating site or
mobile dating application before; 66% of these online daters
have gone on a date with someone they met through a dating
site or application, and 23% have met a spouse or long term
partner through these sites [13].
Experts suggest that current trends hold, come 2015, online
dating sites may be the most common way for somebody to
enter into a new relationship or meet their future spouse. In
another study, 38% of married couples met through family and
friends, 27% met through school, while 17% met online [14].
As of December 2014, a research carried out by African
Digital Statistics established that Nigeria holds the highest
number of internet users with a majority of them connected to
the different social media applications (apps) that has been
introduced into the Nigerian market. According to the research
findings, about 80% of Nigerian youths are usually connected
to at least two of the social media apps, with over 50 percent
of these youths engaging themselves with the opposite sex
[15].
C. Benefits of Online Dating
Highlighted are some of the reasons why using Online
Dating sites have permeated our society;
 It is very easy to meet lots of people online as the
Internet has made the world to become a global village
removing social, class, geographical, economic and all
forms of barriers.
 Online Dating sites provide users with various options of
people to meet and more recently, Online dating sites
comes with User profiling tools that simplifies the whole
process of meeting someone of one’s choice and like-
minded people [16].
 Online Dating makes Instant Communication easier
especially for shy people
 Online dating makes it possible and easier to meet and
date people without the fear and pressure of unnecessary
commitments.
 Some success rate has been recorded by high profile
Online Dating sites as most now use algorithms for
finding love designed by Sociologists and Psychologists
although some of these algorithms are yet to be
published for peer reviewed as stated by [17] in his
online article titled The Science of Online Dating and
Compatibility Testing.
D. Risks of Online Dating
As much as Online Dating has its numerous benefits so also
does it comes with risks and limitations which is why some
people will never consider it as a second option of meeting
potential spouses especially in Nigeria where some people are
usually skeptical about virtual relationships. Highlighted are
some of the risks involved in the use of Online Dating;
 People are skeptical about using it because they simply
do not believe in it, they lack trust in the whole idea of
meeting and dating someone online [18]. Fraudsters see
it as a way of meeting potential unsuspecting victims
which is the norm among the infamously called “Yahoo
boys” in Nigeria.
 Some believe that it makes cheating easy among couples
who are married[19], encourages reckless
communications, some even just do it for the fun of it
without pausing to realize they could be toying with the
emotions of their online partner, security of sensitive
issues discussed online as there is a general idea that no
information is safe online.
 Other reasons include fake sites who only extort users
for money, people pretending to be who they are not, lots
of murders and other crimes have been committed and
reported by people who met through online dating sites,
distance barrier amongst others.

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 Some online dating sites use fake profiles in attracting
unsuspecting users as [20] pointed out in an online
article that one in 10 profiles are scams.
The main issue here is that users should be very careful
about dating people they meet online, they should strive to
meet the person physically before making any commitment
either emotionally or financially.
E. Opinions of People about Online Dating
Fig. 1 shows the opinions of Online Dating among
Americans in 2005 and 2013. The percentage indicates the %
of Internet users who agree with each of the following
statements. In 2005, a total of 3,215 were surveyed and in
2013, the sample size surveyed was 2,252. Interviews were
conducted in English and Spanish on landline and cellphones
using adults of 18 years and above.
Fig. 1: Opinions of Online Dating [Source: 21, Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project Spring Tracking Survey, 2005 & 2013]
[22] surveyed executives at different top dating sites in the
world to get a snapshot on how Internet dating has changed
society and concluded that changes that dating sites have
affected include the increase in interracial marriages, more
acceptance of homosexuals and the increased pickiness of
singles as it is now quicker and cheaper to find a lover than
ever before.
In Nigeria, the opinions that people have about online dating
and Marriage Sustainability has not really been established
scientifically as most are based on just assumptions, hence the
reason for this work.
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This section explains in detail the methodology that was
employed in achieving the stated objectives of this research.
To achieve the first objective, survey method of research
was employed as relevant documents obtained were
qualitatively analyzed for convergence and relevant details
were extracted using Inductive approach.
To achieve the second and third specific objective of this
research, primary data was collected by the researchers and
this was used to gather people’s opinions about online dating
and Sustainable marriage. Quantitative research in the form of
questionnaire survey was conducted to meet the objectives of
the research. The use of questionnaires allowed the researchers
to focus on both the qualitative and quantitative issues,
address specific research issues as the researcher controlled
the research design to get their needs, it also enabled the
researchers have more control over how the information was
collected and decide on some requirements such as size of the
project, time frame and goal. The measuring tool was now
analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.
A. Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique
The data used in evaluating people’s opinions about Online
dating and Sustainable Marriage was obtained from 2015/2016
Family Wholeness Class (Doctoral Students) who are 60 in
population. Convenience sampling which is a type of non-
probability sampling as choosing this population was based on
the judgment of the researchers and this method was used in
the selection of respondents so as to have easy access to them.
It was used to reach the targeted population quickly and
moreover in this study, sampling for proportionality was not
the main concern. Random sampling which is a probabilistic
method of sampling was now used in the selection of
respondents. The sampling frame is a list of the whole
population of people in 2015/2016 Family Wholeness Class
that could be included in the survey and it was from this
sample frame that the sample size was now chosen. The
sample size was determined using a sample size calculator that
was designed by Creative Research Systems survey software.
This software was chosen as a result of its accuracy and
moreover, TopTenReviews which is an online platform that
provides software, web services, electronics, video game,
music and movie reviews selected this system as the best
survey software of 2014.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This section discusses the results of findings that were
discovered in the course of this research work. The sample
size was gotten by using the sample size calculator designed
by Creative Research Systems and after calculation, the
sample size was gotten to be 50 based on a confidence level of
95% as mostly used by researchers, confidence interval of
5.71 and a population size of 60. By putting the confidence
level and confidence interval together, then, we can say that
we are 95% sure that the true percentage of the population lies
between a certain confidence interval. For example 85.72% of
the respondents do not support the use online dating site as a
substitute for physical dating when seeking life partner which
means that with a confidence interval of 5.71, this implies that
between 80.01 and 91.43 of the entire population do not
support the use online dating site as a substitute for physical
dating when seeking life partner. 50 questionnaires were
administered and 42 were returned which yields a response
rate of 84%.
The measuring tool consists of four Sections from A to D.
Section A deals with demographic profile of respondents,
Section B captures various social media platforms respondents
use in connecting with friends, Section C contains questions to
gather respondents awareness and perception about Online
dating and Section D contains questions to gather respondents
opinions about Online dating and Sustainable Marriage.

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Table 1: Department of Respondent
Frequency
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
V
a
l
i
d
Accounting
3
7.1
7.1
7.1
Agronomy
1
2.4
2.4
9.5
Animal Science
2
4.8
4.8
14.3
Biochemistry
4
9.5
9.5
23.8
Bus Admin
8
19.0
19.0
42.9
Computer
Science
8
19.0
19.0
61.9
Economics
1
2.4
2.4
64.3
English
1
2.4
2.4
66.7
IRM
9
21.4
21.4
88.1
Mass
Communication
1
2.4
2.4
90.5
Microbiology
1
2.4
2.4
92.9
Pol Science
3
7.1
7.1
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
From the result output in Table 1 above 21% of the
respondent are from Information Resource Management while
19% each are from Computer Science Department and
Business Administration Department while 41% are spread
across the rest of the departments as shown in the table above.
Table 2: Marital status of respondent
Frequen
cy
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Single
15
35.7
35.7
35.7
Married
27
64.3
64.3
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
From the result output on marital status in Table 2 above
64.3% of the respondents are married while 35.7 are single
respondents.
Table 3: Age of respondent
Frequency
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid
21-30
11
26.2
26.2
26.2
31-40
16
38.1
38.1
64.3
41-50
10
23.8
23.8
88.1
51-60
4
9.5
9.5
97.6
Above 61
1
2.4
2.4
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
From the result output in Table 3 38.1% of the respondents
fall within the age range of 31-40years, 26.2% fall within 21-
30 years, while 23.8% fall within 41-50 years.
Table 4: Gender of respondent
Frequenc
y
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Male
26
61.9
61.9
61.9
Female
16
38.1
38.1
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0
Source: Field Data (November, 2015
From the result output in Table 4 above 61.9% of the
respondent are males and 38.1% are females.
Table 5: What is the social media platform you use most for connecting with
friends
Frequency
Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Facebook
15
35.7
35.7
35.7
Skype
8
19.0
19.0
54.8
Instagram
4
9.5
9.5
64.3
WhatsApp
9
21.4
21.4
85.7
Twitter
6
14.3
14.3
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
From the result output in table 5 above 35.7% of the
respondent often visit Facebook to connect with friends
online, 21.4% uses WhatsApp, 19.0% Skype, 14.3% Twitter
and 9.5% uses Instagram. This implies Facebook is the most
widely used social media platform for connecting with friends.
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
From the result output in Table 6 above 35.7% of the
respondent often use smartphones, 28.6% uses PC, 14.3% uses
IPad, 11.9% uses other devices and 9.5% uses Tablets to
access online dating sites. This implies most people find it
most convenient accessing the site using smartphone.
Table 6: What device do you mostly use to access online dating sites
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid
PC
12
28.6
28.6
28.6
Smart phone
15
35.7
35.7
64.3
IPad
6
14.3
14.3
78.6
Tablet
4
9.5
9.5
88.1
Others
5
11.9
11.9
100.0
Total
42
100.0
100.0

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Table 7: Perceived Awareness and Use of Online Dating Platforms
S/N
Awareness and Use of Online Dating
Platforms
Yes (%)
No (%)
17
I often visit online dating sites
11.9
88.1
18
I got to know about online dating from my
friends and colleagues
47.6
52.4
19
I have introduced someone to online dating
before
9.5
90.5
20
I have dated online before and it lasted for a
while
11.9
88.1
21
Online dating is preferable
9.5
90.5
22
My experience was worthwhile
14.3
85.7
23
I believe I can meet my future partner through
online dating
9.5
90.5
24
Online dating sites can give you a satisfactory
life partner
11.9
88.1
25
I believe that Online dating is more preferable
than Physical dating
4.8
95.2
26
Will you advice someone to date online?
11.9
88.1
Total
142.8
857.2
Total in %
14.28%
85.72%
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
Table 8: Sustainable Marriage
Section D: Sustainable Marriage
Yes
(%)
No (%)
27
I believe that getting married with someone that I met
online can lead to a happy home
16.7
83.3
28
I believe I can meet my future partner through online
dating
26.2
73.8
29
Online dating sites can give you a satisfactory life
partner
16.7
83.3
30
I know married couples that met Online and are happy
together
26.6
71.4
31
Have someone close to you gotten someone or married
via online date
33.3
66.7
32
I have met my online friends before and it was cool
31
69
33
Has it led to marriage before or close to marriage
19
81
34
As Christians there is nothing wrong with online dating
31
69
35
If I meet a God fearing woman or man, we can get
married
45.2
54.8
36
I can advise someone to date/marry someone via the
social media
26.2
73.8
Total
273.9
726.1
Total in %
27.39%
72.61%
Source: Field Data (November, 2015)
The Table 7 above is a cumulative average of question
17-26 which is addressing the perceived awareness and use of
online dating platform. The cumulative total arrived is 142.8
and 857.2 and the percentage of cumulative total are
(142.8/100 (14.2%)) said yes to the question asked on the
perceived awareness and use of online dating platforms while
(857.2/100 (85.7%)) said no. This means that 85.72% of the
respondents who do not support the use of online dating site.
This implied that they preferred physical dating when seeking
life partner while 14.28% support the use of online dating.
Taking a closer look at the data above, 47.6% respondents are
aware of online dating as evident in question 18. Although,
there is a significant number of the respondents (90.5%) as
showed above in question 23 who believe they cannot meet
their future partner through online dating. Also 88.1% said
they will not advise someone to date online neither will the
platform provide future partner.
The Table 8 above is a cumulative average of question 27-
36 which is addressing sustainable marriage. The cumulative
total arrived is 273.9 and 726.1 and the percentage of
cumulative total are (273.9/100 (27.39%)) said yes to support
the online dating can lead to sustainable marriage while
(726.1/100 (72.61%)) said that online dating cannot lead to
sustainable marriage.
A closer observation of the above data, reveal that online
dating may lead to a sustainable marriage if a God fearing
partner is met as addressed in question 36 with 45/2% while
54.8% said no. although 26.6% of the respondents reported
seeing couples who were married via online dating site against
71.4% who reported not to have seen any union via online
dating as evident in question 30. Furthermore, 31% of the
respondent reported to have initiated online dating although
only 19% of the respondent agreed it has led to marriage or
close to marriage as evident in question 32 and 33.
V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
It has been well established in research papers about the
important of dating before marriage. Physical dating and
online dating have been highlighted as means of dating among
singles. From the reviewed literatures there is a synergy with
our research study that online dating may lead to a sustainable
marriage if a God fearing partner is found even though 73.8%
of the respondent said they will not advise to marrying a
partner via online dating.
We cannot give a strong assertion due to the mixed response
from our respondent. Hence our study is at synergy with Laju
(2104). More closely, the marital status of our respondents.
(64.3% are married) implying that they did not use online
dating as a medium in getting their partners, the age of our
respondents (over 60% ranges from 20-50) implying they are
all adults who understand the importance of courtship and
marriage and 61.9% of the respondents are males who are the
one in the forefront for seeking the hand of their partner
(female) in marriage.
Hence, we conclude that even though all respondents are
aware of online dating, have seen people engage in online
dating but there is no strong affirmation that online dating can
lead to a sustainable marriage but it can. We therefore
recommend that while people may engage in online dating, it
is advisable that they meet physically to gain more
acquaintance before considering marriage. Furthermore, for
further studies, more youths should be involved in such study
to get their opinions and perceptions as they are the ones who

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING, VOL. 7, NO. 7, OCTOBER 2016
[ISSN: 2045-7057] www.ijmse.org 17
actually make use of different social sites the most in Nigeria,
the sample should also be larger to get more scientifically
proven results and more geographical locations should be
taken into consideration.
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