From Katy Perry to Martin Shkreli, Tinseltown to Topeka, online dating is now the norm for singles across America. But a new study reveals a surprising statistic: Baby boomers are just as likely as millennials to be swiping for sweethearts.
A national survey from the Pew Research Center shows that online dating by 55- to 64-year-olds has doubled since 2013, rejecting conventional wisdom that the older generation is afraid of technology.
Though millennials still lead the way in app usage, the silver sneaker set is not far behind. “Fully 50 percent of our 50+ members are accessing Match through their mobile device,” Amy Canaday of Match.com told NBC. “This is as compared to roughly 60 percent for all Match users.”
This age group also represents triple-digit growth on some of the more "trendy" urban dating apps, such as Coffee Meets Bagel. "In 2014 and 2015 we saw 81 percent and 314 percent growth in registration among the 55-64 group," Coffee Meets Bagel cofounder Dawoon Kang told NBC. "The growth was particularly strong among women."
"This is a vibrant, growing community of singles that's taking the dating scene by storm, and rightfully so," said Dr. Terri Orbuch, relationship expert for the 50+ dating site OurTime.com. "By and large this age group is happier, more secure, and even feeling sexier than their younger counterparts. They also are a better judge of the type of person who will make them happy, so it's the perfect stage of life to be looking for love."
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Baby boomers aren’t the only new singles online. The survey also showed that Internet dating has lost its taboo status for the youngest demographic (18- to 24-year-olds), leading to a threefold increase in numbers in the last two years.
However, it’s not all good news for Cupid. Other details revealed in the study show that despite great advances in online dating — and attitudes towards it — 88 percent of Americans still meet their partner offline, and almost a third of those who do date online agree that “online dating keeps people from settling down, because they always have options for people to date.”
