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The age-old notion – plucked straight from the pages of a romantic novel – of locking eyes with a stranger across a crowded room is becoming increasingly unlikely. After all, how are you going to catch their attention if it’s held by their smartphone?
As more and more of us whip out our mobiles the second a friend pops away from the restaurant table or bar, it’s fitting that the stigma of meeting someone online – whether by app or dating website – is swiftly falling away. In fact, one in five relationships now begin online, with Tinder alone matching 26 million people a day.
And there is no age limit to meeting your match on the web. Those after mature dating are catered for by a wide range of apps and websites. Sites such as Senior People Meet and our very own Telegraph Dating are perfect for over 50s.
But if you’re still unsure whether online dating is right for you, here’s why we think you should take the initiative, find your best photo, and start writing your profile.
1) You’re in control
With online dating, you’re in charge of everything – from what information you put out there to how you’re contacted, and when you reply.
Instead of an awkward five second pause while you try to think of something witty to say, you can spend time perfecting your first impression. Plus, because you already know what the other person’s interested in, breaking the ice is instantly easier.
One in five relationships now begin online Credit: GrandPix
2) Expand your dating pool
As experts at Match.com say, “The biggest problem we face is being limited by our geographical location. There is a boundary to the amount of friends and work colleagues we are introduced to and this can be quite problematic if you're looking to meet someone.”
If you’re looking for love in your local pub, you’re only going to come across a small number of potential dates – but online you’ve got access to thousands, making it more likely that you’ll find someone you have a spark with.
3) The ideal back-up plan
Signing up to dating sites doesn’t mean you’ve given up on finding someone offline – it just means you’ve got another option working away in the background. While you’re eyeing up a potential love interest in the self checkout aisle, you might be getting a message from someone online.
4) Fit dating around your busy schedule
An eHarmony study conducted earlier this year found three times as many people log on at 2pm on Tuesday than at any other point in the week – a time they have dubbed ‘crush hour’.
As we’re working longer hours than ever before, there’s less time to met new people. With online dating you don’t need to get spruced up or book a sitter – you can log in any time of day.
Credit: Betsie van der Meer/Taxi
5) Breaking out of a rut
Always going for moody and sarcastic types? Experts at Match.com point out we all too often overlook people who don’t fit our idea of a perfect match, adding “The idea of dating websites is to give you the opportunity to meet people that you might not have otherwise had the chance to.”
You can also join sites based on specific interests (from Equestrian Cupid to Veggie Date) and based on where you get your news (like Telegraph Dating). When you approach somebody in a bar you go by looks alone, making it feel like finding a needle in a haystack. With online dating, you can pinpoint exactly the kind of person you’re looking for.
6) It works
One in three Match.com connections pass the six month mark to become committed relationships, and 5 per cent of US marriages now began on eHarmony.
Research released by the PEW Research Centre in 2016 found nearly half of American college graduates know someone who met their husband, wife, or long-term partner via online dating – and almost two in three respondents agreed that online dating is easier and more efficient than other ways of meeting people.
The average length of courtship for a married couple that met online is also lower than for a married couple that met offline.
So what are you waiting for?
(THE TELEGRAPH)
