PAC Student Media

By Christian Villegas
Pulse Staff Reporter

Palo Alto College students said that online dating is made for both hookups and relationship.

According to the Pew Research Center, 48% of young adults from age 18-29 said that they used online dating.

When the Internet was introduced in the mid-’90s, we could communicate across the world. Finding someone special was no longer limited to geography. From websites to apps, online dating flourished.

Most students recommend Tinder because it’s popular, and it was the only thing that popped up in their heads, but more than 20 options exist, like Match, eHarmony, OkCupid and others.

Students at Palo Alto College say they use online dating for both hookups and relationships.

Ed Montelongo, a student at Palo Alto College, said, “It all depends on the person and then people. Some put it on their description. Either they want a relationship or a hookup.”

Luis Garibay, a Computer Science major at Palo Alto, said that he was on Tinder and he was about give up and delete his account, but he got a match.  Today he has a relationship because of Tinder.

Not all students have been successful, but they aren’t giving up yet.

“It could be if I put more effort into it,” said Alexis Acuña, a Communication major at Palo Alto College. 

Many Palo Alto students do not use dating sites or apps. Many said they don’t have the time. Others said they are focusing on their career. 

“I have never used them. I’m focusing my studies,” said Efrain A. Perez, a Liberal Arts major at Palo Alto College.

Online dating could be dangerous, like in Chicago where a man used dating apps to rob victims with a stun gun, but 53% of the 18-29 population said its somewhat safe, according to Pew Research Center. Most people know what the warning signs of online dating looks like, including catfishing, which creates a fake profile.

“I think it’s safe if they use common sense with it,” said Jonathan Callison, a Veterinary Technology major at Palo Alto College.