There are millions of us mid-lifers who are either online dating or know someone that has. In fact, half of the world’s population know someone who dates a person who they met online. Anyone who finds themselves single in mid-life will no doubt be considering online dating as an option for finding a relationship. With so many people online dating, check out these facts about online dating that you should know about!
1. 51% of people online are already in a relationship
51% of the people seeking a relationship online are already in a relationship and 11% are married. A scary thought when navigating through all those profiles!
2. 1 in 10 sex offenders use online dating platforms to meet people.
We don’t mean to scare you, but around 3% of men on dating websites are psychopaths. This doesn’t mean you should online date, however, and there is no proof that it’s more dangerous than regular dating. With all these things, caution is key and don’t put yourself in any vulnerable positions with people you don’t know.
3. Online couples are mostly like to break up after 3-5 months.
Yep, not all relationships will last forever, and the 3-5 month mark is the most common for breaking up. The top reasons for breaking up are distance, cheating or loss of interest.
4.You may keep seeing the same faces
About 9% of those who are online dating are on at least 3 dating sites, so be prepared to bump into some familiar faces.
5.10% of online daters quit after three months
Its true – as great as online dating can be, sometimes it can also be frustrating. If people don’t find the perfect person within the first three months, they will quit and one in 10 will give up after 90 days!
6. 48% of online relationships end over email or messaging.
When you meet online, it may be no surprise that you might break up online, with 48% of people ending their relationship electronically.
7. More than half of people lie on their profile.
Another reason to be cautious when speaking to people online. People always want to present the best version of themselves, but around half of the users make up some or all of the profile information. 40% of men lie about their jobs, and 20% of women use photos from when they were younger.
8. 33% of women have sex on the first date after meeting online.
Yes, some people only online date because they want to have sex with someone, and there are websites created just for this. Online dating means that people can easily connect with like-minded people who want the same things.
9. 64% of users say that shared interest is the most important factors.
Two-thirds of people say that their number one thing they look for online is someone with common interests, but looks isnt far behind with 49% rating that most important.
10. More than 7,500 dating sites exist worldwide
According to Online Dating Magazine, there are more than 7,500 online dating websites — over 2,500 in the United States and 5,000 around the world. Of course, there are the big sites like match.com and eHarmony, but there are also a whole host of niche sites for the less mainstream daters including clowns, Trekkies, and even sea captains! In fact, each day around 3 million dating sites are created across the world. That’s enough to get confusing for any online dater!
The growing number of online dating sites provides a great way to build new relationships and meet new people. However, like most things in life, there are positives and negatives. Especially for midlife daters coming into dating after years in along-termm relationship, we can be a bit naïve. It can be a bit of a shock if you are unaware of some of the negatives of online behaviour and the amount of time and effort it takes to make it work. Lots of people have a lot of fun meeting new friends and partners online, so do not let the drawbacks put you of – just be careful!
Statistics taken from Dating industry statistics 2018 – Statistic Brain
