When androids dream, you may find yourself searching for an artificial illusion in pursuit of the romantic ideal.

In Plato’s “The Symposium,” Aristophanes conjured the idea of love as two lost halves, who once originated from the same body, in perpetual search for completion. The discovery of one’s other half resulted in the consummation of a physical union by which the two become one.

In attempt to simplify our search, we’ve trusted internet algorithms, search engines and artificial intelligence to pair us with our true beloved.

About 44 percent of the American population is single, according to the United States Census Bureau, and nearly 2,500 online dating websites exist, promising that till death do we part, according to a study cited in Online Dating Magazine.

However, an internet search for love may not be the godsend lonely souls were seeking.

Online dating mimics the façade of internet shopping, but instead of clothing or technology, consumers are looking to find a potential lover, according to a review by the Association for Psychological Science.

Online romance may help kindle a small flame, but they cannot sustain or fully complete a relationship because they do not portray individuals a whole person.

People set up their online profiles to advertise specific qualities or traits that may be deemed favorable to the desired sex. Such a method of luring partners or potential mates breeds an environment that promotes superficiality rather than meaningful bonding.

Online dating also removes an important interactive component of getting to know one another. The internet provides users with a mask to cover up unique mannerisms or distinctive personality traits that make a person individual.

Although the internet may be a useful tool in making the first steps to reach out to another, it fails to fulfill a deeper longing. Lovers are not items to be bought, and love can never be fully digitized into high definition and streamed online.

The illusion of love as portrayed on dating sites suggests that love is simply a set of characteristics—an idea that life-partner selection is merely animalistic and shallow rather than soulfully connected.

The union between two individuals can never truly be emulated completely through digitalization, and we can never hope to find genuine love if we choose to pursue relationships solely through the internet.

Such an endeavor is certain to fail. 

The true consummation of souls lies within an emotional, physical, and personal connection rather than the union of IP addresses and metadata.

At the end of the day, we’re not meant to be like robots.

-Michelle Chan is a sophomore animal science major from Phoenix, Ariz. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.