Love@first click is a film by Namrah Siddique and heavily focuses on the topic of internet dating. It is often questioned whether online dating is safe or not. There are many reasons as to why online dating can be dangerous, for example, people using online dating sites with improper intentions or, creating fake profiles, this is often referred to as a catfish. These systematically remove the primary values that online dating should bring, for example, it is a quick and easy way to find a compatible companion who shares similar morals and values. The three-part documentary slowly unravels by outlining the controversial issues of online dating.

The first part of this documentary will air on Channel 4 at 7 PM on Friday 18 th December 2015. It will be covering the pros and cons that surround internet dating, which will be highlighted through a number of interviews with people who have both negative and positive experiences in the use of online dating, as well as some opinions they feel best depicts the idea of online dating as opposed to traditional dating where ultimately, one individual approaches another and they go out on a date in order to learn more about each other’s personalities and interests. Many people argue that this would be the right way to do it and that internet dating services have ‘ruined’ the traditional methods of finding ‘true love’. Whereas, others share the idea that online dating makes it a lot easier for people to interact and meet new people since this is something that they lack in their everyday lifestyles.

Well, what does that say about our current online dating issues? In this documentary, we will be exploring what type of people use online dating sites and why they are doing it. Furthermore, we will be experimenting how easy it is nowadays people to find a companion through online dating however, this would come into the second and third parts of this documentary.

The evidence presented within the documentary suggests how unaware we as individuals can be in regards to the extent to which the internet allows us to go. According to dating sites review.com there are 91 million people around the world using dating apps in 2015. 2 out of 3 who are men. Then according to the same online dating magazine they estimate that there are more than 2500 online dating services just in America, and an increasing number of 1000 per year; consisting of sites according to specific fetishes, sexual orientations, ethnicity and religion.

Applying these fetishes to online dating sites allows people to virtually pick out potential dates and this is where the problems occur as people begin to feel that this takes the romantic qualities away from the reality of dating as it becomes quite an "artificial and unemotional interaction". Still this is not the main or only issue that concerns online dating service users, many are more concerned about the safety of them. It is obvious to say that some people use these sites for their own personal gains and sexual pleasures which ultimately defy the purpose of online dating websites. However, others may actually use these sites to try to meet someone and get to know them for the right reasons, therefore, this is when the sites come to good use, although you may not find exactly what you're searching for.

The documentary will include some interviews that were carried out to gather viewpoints from people the general public who have used online dating sites like tinder, match.com, eHarmony, shaadi.com, plenty of fish, single Muslim, etc. They shared some positive and negative experience and opinions that they had when using the online dating sites. Micheal Douglas was an interviewee in the documentary his overall opinion on online dating was, as he described it, 'quite scary" since his experience had not been one to remember. Another interview that was accounted in the

documentary was a couple; Usma and Numaan Khan, who had in fact found each other through online dating sites, however they had shared a negative opinion and experience to portray their outlook on internet dating. The director then takes the documentary further by interviewing Constable Skibbs (a police officer) who states some safety precautions that he feels are necessary to keep in mind when using online dating sites. He especially refers to catfish scenarios that he feels are becoming more and more common since there are so many enigmas on what or who a person really is and what their intentions are.

Thus, true love will be found, but in ways that differ from the traditional methods, but are they safe? The question is constantly strained however, the exploration of factors that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to using online dating hasn't been stressed enough. This is because the dangers of meeting a stranger and getting to know them in the real world are considered to be far more dangerous than speaking to a complete stranger on the internet that may not even exist, thanks to the evident development of technology. Imagine falling for a fictional character, isn't that something you would want to question?

Love@First Click provides first-hand insight into dating experiences and opinions on online dating.

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Written by Mehak Hussain