Ready To Mingle? Americans 40+ Find Love With Online Dating
It’s no secret that online dating has taken the world by storm. More people now find romantic partners through apps rather than in regular life, and it’s all thanks to our phones and laptops. Technology has made it easier than ever to connect people, no matter where you are on the globe.
Online dating is a great way to dip your toes into the dating pool without rushing into anything serious. Swiping or setting up a dating profile is quickly becoming the most popular way to date with the highest success rate.
The Online Dating Stigma Is Gone
Years ago, online dating was associated with shame and desperation. Now, everyone knows a successful, thriving couple who met online. The stigma that was once placed on looking for love through a screen has since been eliminated, according to a CNBC report, and according for Forbes, the approval rate for dating digitally has risen by 15 percent between 2005 and 2015.
Online daters no longer need to feel shame for swiping in public; be it on the subway, at your favorite coffee shop, or in line at the grocery store. In fact, over 40 million Americans (that’s 40 percent of the US population) have used online dating to find love. That statistic has led to 20 percent of all of today’s relationships getting started online.
Love For All Ages
Don’t be discouraged if you feel out of touch with the dating game. No matter what age you are, you have something amazing and valuable to bring to the table. Always remember that caring, engaging, confident people are attractive no matter how old they are.
According to eHarmony, one of the most common discrepancies on online dating profiles is the person’s age. It’s always better to be transparent when it comes to your age, since you want to establish a relationship of trust right off the bat. Ken Solin, dating coach and author, urges you to be honest about your age. If you begin a relationship with a lie, the relationship is already doomed.
Solin advises baby boomers looking for love to stick to people their own age. You have a higher chance of meeting people who share the same interests and values as you. While you might initially be inclined to seek a younger partner, long-lasting romance probably isn’t realistic if you don’t have anything in common.
Age difference also has an impact on marital success. A study conducted at Emory University in 2014 revealed that couples with more than a five-year gap were more 18 times more likely to fail than couples of the same age. The chance of marriages ending in divorce jumps to 39 percent for a 10-year gap and a staggering 95 percent for a 20-year gap.
No matter your gender, your chances of meeting someone who you will want to be with longterm are much greater if you accept and embrace your age and just put yourself out there. Just be yourself.
Online Dating Is More Effective Than Ever, Especially Among 40-Plus Age Group
Online dating has never been more popular than it is today. An increased use of dating services has experienced a boost in people in their 20s, 50s, and 60s.
The number of millennials age 18 to 24 actively using online dating apps tripled between 2013 and 2015, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2015. With the introduction of easy-to-use apps, millennials have taken to online dating rather than trying to meet a partner in real life – as a result, more dating apps are hitting the market regularly.
Millennials aren’t the only ones turning to dating apps to find love. Online daters age 55 to 64 have doubled over the same two years as millennials, and people over age 50 account for the fastest growing online dating community. American adults age 45 to 54 are also just as likely to look for love online as people in their 20s.
So, why has online dating become the favoured method of dating? The growing number of dating platforms surely has something to do with it. The selection of dating sites and apps has grown significantly in recent times to expand beyond Match.com, eHarmony, OkCupid, and Tinder, making it simple for daters to choose a platform that works for them.
A few lesser-known general dating sites include Coffee Meets Bagel and The League that those venturing for love online might seek, while OurTime is a dating platform for people older than 50. If you are religious, you might consider checking out either Christian Mingle for Christians, Eshq for Muslims, jSwipe for Jews and many other sites varying by faith.
Bumble is another popular option. Bumble was the first dating app to empower women, granting them the opportunity to message their matches first. Since then, apps like Coffee Meets Bagel and Tinder Gold have followed in Bumble’s footsteps. This is an important innovation in online dating, since it eliminates the possibility of guys sending inappropriate messages to women and deterring those women from pursuing online dating in the future.
Over 20 Percent Of Current Committed Relationships Began Online
20 percent of serious relationships now begin digitally, according to eHarmony. The CEO of Match Group, which owns brands like Tinder and Match.com, estimates that number is actually closer to 30 percent.
29 percent of the 2000 respondents in the Pew study admitted they know someone who is in a serious relationship with or married to a partner they met online. Adults all over the globe are successfully finding fulfilling, loving relationships online – what’s stopping you from being one of them?
Common Interest And Confidence: The Most Important Factors
Finding a romantic partner isn’t always dependent on being young and beautiful; some of the most single and attractive people wind up staying home alone watching TV on the weekend.
People are attracted to others depending on the common interests they share and the confidence that both parties project. When creating your online dating profile, you should always try to represent your truest self. Be clear about your age, but be sure focus on your interests, personality and values the most.
When it comes to confidence, what matters most is simply being yourself, knowing how to enjoy the moment, and being fearless of the opinions of others. Being able to laugh at yourself and not take every situation seriously is also very important, and will draw more people to you than you can imagine.
Trying a dating app or website doesn’t force you to commit to anything; even if you just want to test the waters, joining a dating platform is the easiest way to get yourself back out there. After all, your future significant other could have already registered!