Word: datamatching
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...those without a special someone, (or a special someone in the imediate vicinity), there was always "Datamatch," the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) sponsored dating program which yields a top ten list of compatible undergrads for a given participant to choose from...
...phenomena--data match and Condom Week--reveals a slightly more complex picture. Whereas a cursory analysis of this week's Valentine's-Day-inspired activities would indicate carefree kids gone wild about sex and dating (and maybe if they're lucky, both), the underlying motivation behind Condom Week and Datamatch is significantly more conservative...
However, once again, a second look at the sources of data matching's popularity complicates our simple analysis. Datamatch can only be successful if people feel that romance is not very likely to occur on its own; in other words, the appeal of Datamatch is born of a deep disillusionment with any natural prospects for a social life. In a peculiarly 90's twist, the technical precision of the computer fills the role that spontaneity--or a good-hearted matchmaker--played in the more personal days of yesteryear...
...element of Datamatch that is particularly interesting is its ultimate goal. The purpose of the service is to find yourself a serious relationship, not a one night stand. One piece of lore that now surrounds Datamatch is of a couple who met their first year through the service and who, now seniors, are still together. As this true tale implies, the ideal of the program is not to add another five names to your random hook-up list, but to find the person with whom you hope to be truly committed--in the end, a highly conservative mission...
This is not to say that precautions are unnecessary. Quite the contrary, the dangers associated with irresponsible or promiscuous sex are real. Nonetheless, this move to conservatism is a phenomenon worth taking note of, because we do not fully understand its implications. Datamatch and Condom Week may be examples of our generation's attempts to preserve some semblance of romance in a world that reminds us that romance could be dangerous. The possibility we have yet to grapple with is that our cautious technology may have denuded sexuality of its mystique and, concomitantly, some of its excitement. That probably means...