Love knows no age, right?
Majority (70%) of single people aged over 50 are keen to go back to the dating scene to find love, with 53% of them bluntly stating it’s love they’re looking for. These were some of the findings of a survey done by DateMyAge – part of Social Discovery Group (SDG), the company behind over 40 online dating sites – that stressed that older adults are also searching for love.
“While this part of the dating pool isn’t as widely talked about, there’s certainly a lot to say about it,” said Alex Kudos, chief marketing officer of SDG. “Seventy percent of senior singles are interested in meeting their next match, sooner rather than later. This group has seen it all, and they have no patience for games.”
Key survey findings include:
- A majority of older adults have decided it’s time to get back out there. DateMyAge found that 70% of 50+ singles are interested in meeting their next match.
- 53% of adults 50 and older cited meeting a long-term partner as a major reason for participating in online dating. Meanwhile, 30% are using online dating platforms to date casually. 10% of seniors are online dating to find partners for casual sex.
- Older adults move faster when it comes to taking things offline. Unlike millennials, seniors aren’t happy to spend inordinate amounts of time online corresponding with their matches. On average, seniors are ready to meet IRL three days after beginning conversations with a fresh match. This is much quicker than millennials, who typically wait two weeks to take things offline.
- Single women increasingly prefer to date older men. 40% of women under 30 are interested in dating men up to age 45. This increased from last year, when just 30% of women under 30 were open to dating older men.
- Women are more likely to describe their experiences with dating older men as positive, while they typically describe their experiences with dating younger men or men of the same age as negative. 60% of women said their experiences with dating younger men, or men of the same age are “overwhelmingly negative.”
- Of the women who prefer dating older bachelors, they cited this group’s variety of life experiences, epic travel stories, and ability to plan a date as critical reasons why they are preferred.
Considering that many older people may be new to the online dating scene, DateMyAge recommended some tips for seniors who are interested in dating and relationships to consider, including:
Show fresh snaps.
It’s fine to include one or two vintage photos of yourself that showcase your core memories, hobbies or life experiences, but don’t leave your matches guessing about your current appearance. Mature daters know that appearance is much less important than interests when it comes to finding a companion, but you should still make sure the majority of the photos on your dating profile are up to date.
Establish trust first.
It’s especially important for seniors to take appropriate safety measures when it comes to online dating. They should never share their personal information, bank account numbers, or passwords.
No approval? No problem.
DateMyAge found that people of all ages are no longer seeking approval from family and friends when it comes to their significant other. Even so, going into dating at this age, it’s important to note that your adult children are likely to be skeptical about your matches. If you’re happy with your new partner, then set boundaries with your kids, and if needed you can get an outside opinion from a talk therapist or a truly neutral party who can help you better understand where your loved ones are coming from with their concerns.
