Internet Dating
Men dating women, women dating men, women seeking women and Chinese dating – the quest for companionship, casual encounters, even love and marriage – the phenomenon has taken the world by storm; but what are the facts behind the smiling faces looking for love? Is internet dating a viable alternative to finding a partner? What are the best sites in the US, the UK and abroad? What issues affect finding love, a life partner or even having casual encounters? What’s the ideal age to find that someone special?
Internet dating: who lies about what?
How much of what we see on our dating screens is the truth and how much is made up. Statistics indicate that men most commonly lie about their age, their height and their income level. Women on the other hand tend to lie about their weight, their age and their physical appearance. Does this astonish you? It shouldn’t since women feel they must stretch the truth, here and there, because they believe men dating women on the internet will do searches looking for specific physical attributes and age before focusing on inner qualities. Meanwhile men feel they must lie because they assume, erroneously, that most women dating men on the internet will be attracted initially by higher income levels and younger ages. Of course, similar misconceptions, truth-stretching and outright lying occur in non-virtual settings, however it’s done in more subtle ways, since it would be odd to see gentlemen approaching ladies in bars or nightclubs asking how much they weigh while women went around asking men how much they earned.
Lists of internet dating sites
If you’ve decided to join the throngs of internet daters, you may be wondering where to start. Which are the most popular internet dating sites for men dating women and women dating men? Here are some of the top places where there seems to be a good selection no matter what you seek: Match, Chemistry, Meetic, Perfect Match, eHarmony, Lavalife, Yahoo Personals, Matchmaker, Friend Finder, Mate 1.
Budget conscious singles may be looking for sites where there are no sign-up fees and where memberships are unpaid. Where can you find such sites? Some of the popular free internet dating sites for men dating women and women dating men are as follows: American Singles, Plenty of Fish, Date an Ex, Just say Hi, Book of Matches, Love Perhaps Dating, Yearning for Love, Zoom Date, Meet a Person.
If you are only looking for casual encounters then perhaps the best places to look are adult internet dating sites for men dating women and women dating men who have one thing on their minds. Some of the sites, which are not intended as places for those who seek long-term partners are as follows: Adult Internet Dating, Sexy Ad’s, Adult Friend Finder, Sex Search, Bang Match, Horny Matches, Swingers Personals for Couples
Top internet usage is not just a North American trend. Asian internet dating sites for men dating women and women dating men are extremely common and well used. Some of the top sites are: Asian Dating, Love Me, Thai matches, Filipina Heart, Hong Kong Cupid, Indian Cupid, Indonesian Cupid, Japan Cupid, Korean Cupid, Singapore Love Links, Thai Love Links, Vietnam Cupid
Specific Chinese dating sites for men dating women and women dating men are plentiful and some that have attracted attention and are used by people of all ages are: Chinese Love Links, China Love Match, Chn Love, Foreign Ladies, Chinese Kisses, Dating Chinese
The internet is not just for men and women who seek love and companionship but also for same sex relationships and encounters. There are several good sites that cater specifically to women seeking women. Some of these internet dating sites are: Lesbian Personals Online, Lesbian Romance, Found Her Online, Lesbian Online Personals, Mega Friends
Internet dating and the search for love is not reserved for those who are young or have marriage or creating families on their minds. Companionship for those who are older is just as warranted and sought after, in fact perhaps more so. Over 50 internet dating sites for men dating women and women dating men are abundant. In addition to the sites that have all ages, here are some specifically designed for those 50+: Lavalife Prime, Perfect Match, Senior Friend Finder, Senior Match, Senior People Meet, Single Seniors Meet.
If you are considering using the internet to find love for the first time or hoping for “the one” that will be the last and the ultimate, you may be interested in knowing some facts and statistics about dating on line. First the stats for 2009:
General Cyber Dating Statistics
While we all know that the internet has had a great impact on the world, socially, economically and as a means of communication and information, it may be surprising to learn that the number of people who use the internet has now reached a billion. That translates into saying that about 17% of earth’s population in connected and online. With that in mind, it will be less surprising to know that the online dating industry continues to grow at a rate of around 10% per year. In economic terms, studies say that it grosses between a billion and 2 billion dollars of revenue per year. It’s estimated that about a fifth of that is generated by date coaching, although it’s thought that only about 10% of those who use internet date sites are actually paid members, meaning the remainder who are associated with the sites, almost 90%, do not pay monthly or flat fees for using the dating website services, receiving responses or sending messages to contact members.
Dating Women
Here are a few other fun facts about internet dating:
1. It stands to reason that “like attracts like”, or at least search for the same lifestyle, and therefore it’s understandable that more than 90% of single parents search for, and date, other single parents.
2. It’s estimated that about a third of all internet dating users will successfully form a relationship while using such sites and contacting members.
3. Due to the success of internet dating sites, the adult dating sites have caused the general internet sex industry to drop; for example last year alone it is reported that the adult world took a nose dive, down by around 6% from the previous year.
4. It’s a sad reality, but true. It seems that the free dating sites are often used and abused by those with a scam in mind. There are estimates that place the scam accounts at around 12%, especially on the free sites. So be a bit careful. Everyone and everything is not always what it appears to be. And it may be best to use paid sites because often the paid ones require considerable time and effort to create an account – scammers are not usually willing to invest much time and money when they can do it for free.
The above stats are mostly based on US or general international information. Now here are some UK specific statistics:
UK Statistics for Lonely Hearts and Those Hoping for a 55+ Companion
It seems almost hard to fathom that in the UK internet dating has become so accepted that almost 70% of all dates are arranged through the internet. That percentage spells the shocking reality that there are more than 5 million users of dating websites, and that most of these users who seek to be loved or touched or accompanied in some way, are ladies and gents over the age of 35. As with all stats there are conflicting numbers, but all the numbers are still relatively high. Be it true that a third of British singles are actively using dating websites or that more than half do so, almost everyone concurs that these numbers are increasing annually at a rate of about 25%.
Good news for those in the UK who are still looking for love…or something like it….it is said that 1/4 of those who are out there looking, and use internet services, have found love, and have married, thanks to using online sources. For the rest who are still hunting, take heart, there’s hope!
Some extra juicy tidbits and comments pertaining to the dating industry in the UK:
1. it’s thought that it will be a billion pound industry within the next couple of years.
2. guess who are the most active singles in the UK? That’s right, those who are over 55. And that may be a result of other statistics that say that 60% of mature women (over 65) in the UK live alone and that about 30% of men do so as well. All these mature singles are starting to get together, it seems and guess what the results are? Very good for those who are hopeful about combating loneliness in old age because even the over 55 age groups are averaging 7 dates that are arranged online. That’s a good step in the right direction. Perhaps we’ll soon see a decline in single mature ladies with cats and older gents living alone with their dogs.
Statistics from the US Regarding Dating and The Online Quest For Love
The internet dating industry in the United States is on the rise, and overall it is the third highest revenue creator of any industry that is rapidly increasing, and not surprising when you note that 40 million people are searching for love through the internet… just in the US! To accommodate the demand, there are over a thousand love related dating websites, and that means that about half of the US population knows someone who has met his/her soul mate, love, wife, husband, companion or partner through an online service. While marriage is often the intent, and relationships are created for the long-term in many cases, here are some statistics that might surprise you:
1. in the US, almost 29% of the people who chose to use an internet dating service had sexual encounters on the first date. And one shocking bit of news is that most of them (thought to be about 80%), didn’t use a condom for protection. This is rather unsettling news. It’s not known what causes people who date online to be more sexually lax in this regard, but perhaps it stems from other factors like longer communication time prior to meeting, a sense of knowing someone better, or simply the fact that there are studies that show that those who look for love via the internet may very well have higher self-esteem than average. Contrary to the idea that the internet as a whole is an isolating factor in our society, it seems there are reasons to believe that those who use dating services online are also very sociable people and usually more romantic. Perhaps romantic in this case means they just never give up having hope that they will find Miss or Mr. Right at any age!
2. Guess how old women are when they get married in the US…..the average age for women to enter into marriage is 26.
3. Ladies, beware of marrying a younger man. Why? Women who marry a younger man have a higher (19%) mortality rate than women who marry a man closer to their same age.
Statistics about Chinese Dating and Asia Dating
If you think internet dating is hot in the US and the UK, then you must look at what’s happening in Asia. In China alone the number of dating site users will soon reach about 140 million, which is about 100 million more than in US, and a whopping 135 million more than in the UK. It’s also an exploding industry in India, although much lower than the Chinese sites. Right now, there are about 15 million users in India, still 10 million more than in the UK. And, in the land of the rising sun, Japan, where arranged marriages have long been the norm, there are more than 1,500 love related sites.
Facts about Chinese Dating, Customs and Culture
If you’re considering finding your Asian love or simply dating a Chinese woman, please keep in mind that women and their families regard marriage as something very serious, and although it may not involve the same religious rituals that entail “God” blessing the union, it’s a much more serious event for a Chinese woman than it is for most people in modern western countries. The Chinese idea of dating is also very different from western views. Although it’s very acceptable that a husband be considerably older than his wife, when it comes to marrying a westerner, the Chinese are much more conservative, and are very cultured people who may view a western male as someone who is less “civilized”. In many cases the differences may be insurmountable, but adaptation and genuine love is possible if both parties desire it and the Chinese lady has her family’s approval. Remember that Chinese women seeking men on Chinese dating sites have probably received parental approval prior to joining a website. If you are one of the fortunate men who finds a wife in this way, it will be very important to keep in mind that respect for the family of your new wife will be paramount. If you’re desirous of starting a relationship with a Chinese woman, or if you’d like to date a Chinese woman with the intent to marry her, keep in mind that she is not usually alone. What that means, in short, is that if you marry an Asian woman you marry her family and sometimes Asia itself. That said, please consider one last thing that’s very important: When the words “Chinese culture” are used please be aware that there is no ONE “SINGLE” Chinese way. Chinese people may look similar and have certain similar aspects and ways of doing things, but the countries from which they hail have vastly different customs and cultural ideas. There is not even a single Chinese language. “Chinese” is I fact either Mandarin or Cantonese or a variety of other languages depending on their region. Religion and political viewpoints will be very different depending on where they come from or live, for example just visualize the differences between a woman from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore. While all are Chinese countries, in the general sense, it would be wrong to assume you know one just because you know another.
The previous facts and stats were based on the 2009 reports. Now let’s look at 2010.
Dating Men
General Online Dating Stats 2010
You may be anxious to know what the average duration of relationships are within people who have met online. Well, the answer is not what you or I hope to hear. Unfortunately, people who meet online, on average, stay together only about a year and a half, which is twice as short as it is for couples who meet in more traditional ways.
How much is the dating industry worth this year? The entire dating industry, encompassing the whole world, is said to be worth about 4 billion dollars.
We all know about the famous Craiglist. What most of us don’t know is that the adult listings earned the company about 30 million dollars already this year, and that’s considered about a third of the company’s total revenue. It is obvious people are willing to pay for love, and maybe money can buy it after all.
It’s estimated that, already this year, about a fifth of the couples who were married, met their partners on internet love sites. There is also another group of people: couples who found someone they love but did not publicize their relationship by entering into marriage. It’s interesting to note that, during the past 50 years, marriage as a whole has dropped in popularity by about 25%.
How does religion affect internet dating?
It’s rather curious to find that Buddhists, atheists, protestants and even some Muslims will search for partners outside of their faith, or at least not make it part of their essential criteria to finding love. However in the case of Hindus, Catholics and Mormons, it seems finding a partner who share their religious beliefs is much more important.
Women Seeking Women – Lesbian Websites
1. Personals Oodle – This website offers about 60 thousand ads for women seeking women
2. Found Her Online – features about 3,400 websites that in turn access another 72 lesbian love communities
3. Hedonism Resort in Jamaica – although the website itself is not very good, it’s actually about a resort that specializes in bisexual women seeking women
4. Craiglist – believe it or not there are about 100 new women seeking women posts that appear daily, and if this is something that interests you, you’ll be happy to know that most of them include pictures.
