Your Grandma is Totally Getting Her Match.com Freak On, Study Says
Online dating is generally seen as the realm of the young, or perhaps the recently divorced and middle-aged, but the olds are getting into the whole “meeting hook-ups online” thing at a breakneck pace.
While old people sex is often (and very not cool-y, let’s acknowledge) seen as squicky, the fastest growing demographic of online daters is the older set. And while younger folk may gravitate to online dating for its ease and imagined lack of dithering, older people tend to be less into positioning and more into finding a good match, the study out of Bowling Green University in Kentucky indicates.
The study looked at what attracts older users of dating sites as well- both from an interface perspective as well as a potential partners bent. And what it found was that certain words and concepts- “affection, intelligence, independence, purpose and goals, religion and spirituality, political beliefs, health and status”- could be more effective from a marketing perspective to make senior matches.
And far from the notion that adults become more willing to accept below par partners as they age, the study found senior women in particular may be less likely to settle:
In previous research on dating in later life, Watson and Stelle found that older women had specific expectations regarding dating. Watson says women don’t have a need that has to be filled. “Instead their philosophy is: ‘Please don’t waste my time,’” he said. “They are less likely to play games,” Stelle said. “They want to make a decision quickly and cut their losses, because they have learned life is too short for dating games.”
Further research into the dating and mating habits of seniors is planned.
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About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
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