Getting Together Online

Love is in the air…And the wind that brings it is changing.  In fact, according to this study by Stanford University, that change is coming at a record pace. 

Way back in the day, families were often the result of arranged marriages.  Since that time, close friends and family have been the primary drivers enabling connections between couples.  But this new research report has found that internet dating and hookup apps such as Tinder, match.Comand eHarmony are rapidly becoming the go-to method for people to find matches.

The article speculates that an online matchup might be preferred to a meeting in a bar or restaurant because the layer of physical distance offers a bit of safety.  If, for example, one person sends a text or picture that the receiver considers rude or inappropriate, the receiver can block that person and have no further contact with them.  

One click, and contact is established or terminated.  It’s that simple, and completely within the recipient’s control. 

In addition, the very broad reach of dating apps provides for a much wider “playing field”. A click or a swipe is all it takes for users to be presented with far more potential partners than they could meet through friends, family, co-workers, or their own day-to-day.

You might be astonished at the graph that researchers drew, simply by asking couples: “How did you meet?”  

As you can see, for people who met their life partner in the 1940s, family was the most popular response.  But this venue has been declining ever since.  So’s the venue of meeting each other in primary or secondary school.   Since roughly 2000, meeting online has rocketed past all other venues to become the most likely way that couples get together today.  

Judging by the shape of the graph and the trends, it looks like all other venues are going to continue to be in decline, while online selection will become even more popular and important in the future.

As they say, change is the only constant.  What do you think about these findings?  For those with significant others, did you meet through more traditional means, or were you part of the ever-growing trend of online dating?