What surprised me the most was Table 8.1- I had no idea that 20-25% of Americans (in 2012) had met their partners online- I would have estimated a much lower percentage.

I have been in a committed relationship for almost a year but before then, I was living in a new place and decided to try a couple of dating sites/apps. I went on a few dates with different people and my takeaway was that online dating isn’t really for me. First of all, there is something very shallow about the whole process- people present the most attractive and interesting versions of themselves and are generally completely different in person. I spent a lot of time on the dates wondering if I lived up to their expectations, and just felt a little uncomfortable.  I think the whole process sets us up to be far more judgmental and suspicious of the people we meet up with than we would be if we had just casually met them in a public place or through a friend.

However, I think that people who are a little older who are willing to pay for premium sites and work very busy schedules or have children are much more likely to find a good match. When my father admitted five years ago that he had met his new girlfriend on Match.com, my teenage self cringed a little bit- however, they are still together, engaged, and own a home. They are besotted with each other. I also work with a slightly older woman who was having trouble finding a suitable partner, but met someone on Match.com a year ago, and they got engaged last month- he has children and she is already close with them.

I think the difference is that with young people, online dating is really just normally a way to find someone to hook up with, and romance rarely blossoms. The people in their late teens and twenties who utilize these services to try find a serious relationship generally end up disappointed. With older generations, I think they tend to take it a little more seriously because they are more likely to want to find someone to share their life with.