Dating Tips | Dating Service.com » News & Views http://www.dating-service.com/blog Advice and Tips for Online Dating Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:07:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Baby Boomers Contribute Significant Numbers of Online Daters http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1402/baby-boomers-contribute-significant-numbers-of-online-daters/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1402/baby-boomers-contribute-significant-numbers-of-online-daters/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:15:08 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1402 If you think of online dating as being just for young people, think again. According to a report by Smart Money, baby boomers account for at least 20 percent of all online daters. And, that number is growing. From February 2010 to February 2011, the number of online daters over the age of 50 jumped by 8%, while the overall jump in online dating was just 4%.

This significant level of acceptance by the over age 50 community is just another sign of how mainstream online dating has become. I met my husband online 11 years ago, when it was still considered a “little creepy”. I was hesitant to tell people how we met for quite a while. Today, however, meeting your new love interest online is “old hat”. The fact that an older generation of daters finds it to be mainstream gives the niche even more credibility.

The higher divorce rate among older people has also contributed to the increase in online dating by this demographic. Divorce rates, on the whole, have decreased in the last 20 years, but they have nearly doubled in the “over 50″ age range. This increase in divorce rates combined with an increase in internet usage in this age range makes online dating the perfect combination.

There are a fairly large number of dating sites catering to this particular demographic, too, including Senior Friend Finder and Senior People Meet. So, if you’re over fifty and looking for love, the internet is waiting. And, you can be sure that you’ll have plenty of company.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1402/baby-boomers-contribute-significant-numbers-of-online-daters/feed/ 0 Massachusetts Teen Victim of Dating Violence http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1398/massachusetts-teen-victim-of-dating-violence/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1398/massachusetts-teen-victim-of-dating-violence/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:53:16 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1398 18-year-old Lauren Astley’s body was found in the edge of a marsh over the July 4 holiday weekend. She had been strangled and had a wound to the neck. Her ex-boyfriend of three years has been arrested and charged with her murder. Prosecutors call the case one of teen dating violence.

Our condolences are with Lauren Astley’s family, who had no knowledge that anyone had been bothering their daughter. They did, however, know that she had recently broken up with Nate Fujita, who has been charged in her death. Fujita has said he did see Astley just before her death, but that they only talked.

It’s important to remember that dating violence can be especially prevalent among teens. As parents, we must be vigilant in watching for signs of dating violence, especially during the time of breakups or squabbles.

According to the group “Choose Respect”, the following statistics are true about teen dating violence:

  • One in five high school girls have been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.
  • Nearly 80% of girls who have been victims of physical abuse in a dating relationship continue to date their abuser.
  • One in three teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been physically hurt by his or her partner through violent actions which included hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, and/or choking.

You can read more about Lauren Astley’s death at The Boston Channel.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1398/massachusetts-teen-victim-of-dating-violence/feed/ 0 Will Google Plus be the New Dating Site? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1395/will-google-plus-be-the-new-dating-site/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1395/will-google-plus-be-the-new-dating-site/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:42:01 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1395 Google Plus is launching and anytime a new social media site hits the market it begs the question “Will it be a good site for dating?”

You probably realize by now that to join Google Plus, you have to receive an invitation. So far, about 88% of Google Plus members are men. So, theoretically, Google Plus is a great dating site to check out if you happen to be a woman, and you happen to get an invitation.

If Google Plus succeeds, the gender balance will have to correct itself over time. The main question that remains regarding Google Plus as a dating site is one of privacy. Google Plus touts itself as the more private alternative to Facebook, which may mean that it doesn’t envision itself as being a dating alternative. Facebook’s main advantage as a “dating site” is that you can so easily see the profiles of the people your friends already know. When you see someone who looks promising, you can connect with them based on your mutual acquaintance. If Google works really hard to ensure privacy, making those connections might not be possible.

So, I guess we’ll have to give Google Plus a little longer in the marketplace before we can really assess its possibilities as a dating site. Now, if I could just get an invitation…

Read more on this story.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1395/will-google-plus-be-the-new-dating-site/feed/ 0 New Laws Target Dating Sites http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1369/new-laws-target-dating-sites/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1369/new-laws-target-dating-sites/#comments Sun, 22 May 2011 12:58:33 +0000 admin http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1369 A new proposed law in New York could really hit some dating sites hard. As part of the Internet Dating Safety Act, this law will require sites to either perform criminal background checks on all members or post a notice indicating that they are not performing the background checks.

This new law is very broad, and applies to any site that allows you to meet strangers online. So, in addition to traditional online dating sites, popular pages like Facebook would be on the hook, too. Fines can be steep for sites that fail to post the appropriate notices or run the background checks.

Texas has already passed a similar law, and many other states are looking at similar statutes.

So, will this type of law deter people from online dating? Online dating has become so mainstream that it’s hard to imagine that people who frequent these sites aren’t aware that it’s important to take precautions before meeting online friends in person.

It’s also unlikely that any of the websites that fall under the new statutes will actually perform background checks on new members due to the workload and costs associated with it. So, when all is said and done, it’s hard to predict if these laws will have any positive effect on the safety of online dating. There certainly will never be a substitute for taking personal precautions.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1369/new-laws-target-dating-sites/feed/ 0 Did the Royal Wedding Spark Proposals? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1362/did-the-royal-wedding-spark-proposals/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1362/did-the-royal-wedding-spark-proposals/#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 10:18:25 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1362 Prince William, second in line to the British throne married his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton last week in a gorgeous ceremony that went off without a hitch. But, will the elegant nuptials, broadcast worldwide, motivate other longtime couples to tie the knot?

It seems so, at least in England. Months ago, wedding insurer, Ecclesiastical noted that they were already beginning to receive more requests for wedding insurance, and they expected that number to continue to increase into the months past the actual day of the royal wedding.

Of course, spring and summer are the most popular months of the year for weddings anyway, but it does appear that seeing William and Kate tie the knot has influenced many other British couples to do the same.

Anything used by Kate and William can expect a royal boost, too. We all know that many brides will want a dress that is a copy of, or at least similar to, the beautiful and demure gown worn by the now Duchess of Cambridge.

But, even venues will get a boost from the royal wedding. Many wedding experts have predicted a return to the more traditional wedding venue after seeing the elegance and beauty of Westminster Abbey all decked out for the royal ceremony.

It will be interesting to watch the trends that come from the royal wedding. Let’s certainly hope that one of them is happy marriages.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1362/did-the-royal-wedding-spark-proposals/feed/ 0 Match.com Lawsuit Serves as Reminder http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1352/match-com-lawsuit-serves-as-reminder/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1352/match-com-lawsuit-serves-as-reminder/#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 09:29:41 +0000 admin http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1352 In April of this year, an unidentified female Hollywood executive filed a civil suit against Match.com. She alleges that she was brutally sexually assaulted by a man she met on the site after their second date. She joins a number of other women in the suit that alleges that Match.com does not do enough to distinguish and weed out online predators.

Match.com is one of the most popular and reputable dating sites in the country. They do verify, as much as is possible, the identities of their members. And, while we certainly can’t speak to any specifics in this lawsuit, it is important to remember that we’re all personally responsible for our own safety.

Online dating sites provide a very convenient and easy way to meet others. However, people often have an unclear understanding about the services provided by dating companies and many have the false belief that members are being personally screened for them. Unless your dating service clearly makes this declaration to you, you should assume meeting somone through this route is no different from meeting someone in a cafè or supermarket. Always take the normal precautions of meeting someone for the first time.

Although online dating can be a scary proposition, many people have also found the love of their lives through this venue. Online dating through reputable sites is relatively safe, but taking precautions is still extremely important. Some of the most important things to remember include:

  • Not giving out too much personal information
  • Meeting only in public places until you’ve really gotten to know the person
  • Looking for red flags, such as a person asking for money or for a lot of personal details early on

All online daters have to follow these guidelines to ensure their own safety. You truly cannot expect a dating site to find every bad apple.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1352/match-com-lawsuit-serves-as-reminder/feed/ 2 Mapping Out a Date http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1344/mapping-out-a-date/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1344/mapping-out-a-date/#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:21:26 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1344 Want to know where the happiest people are? Well, according to a report by ABC News, you can get a pretty good visual picture of where people are in the country.

New York artist and performer Luke DuBois used data from over 19 million online dating profiles to create a map showing how Americans in different parts of the country describe themselves when they’re looking for love.

The results offer some pretty interesting insight into how different areas of the country use different terms to describe their single status.

For example, women in West Virginia and men in parts of the Southwest are more apt to describe themselves as “kinky” than in other areas of the country. Women in Oklahoma, Florida and men in Texas often use the word “lonely” when they’re single.

DuBois then gave each town its own one word description, based on the word most often used by singles there to describe themselves. Washington DC is “interesting”, while Montgomery, Alabama is “conservative”.

The data brings to light how people use their online dating profiles to attempt to stand out from the crowd. DuBois mapped 20,000 different words in his research, which certainly proves that all online daters are not using words like “fun”, ” smart” and “free-spirited” to describe themselves.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1344/mapping-out-a-date/feed/ 0 Phone Apps for Dating? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1327/phone-apps-for-dating/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1327/phone-apps-for-dating/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:55 +0000 admin http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1327 We certainly are a technology driven world. Today, it seems we use our phones for everything. Over the last few years many online dating providers have extended their services, for example so that people can receive text flirts on their mobile phones. Some even allow you to receive alerts about members near your current location. Sophisticated phone Apps are now going above and beyond this. The saying “there’s an app for that” is taken to new heights when we consider the many possibilities of using apps for dating.

Take, for example, the application called Ratio Finder. This app, which is currently only available in New York City and San Francisco, provides a real time map of locations in the city, showing the number of males versus females at each particular location.

Using information from WeePlaces.com and the social networking site Foursquare, Ratio Finder shows who has checked in at popular restaurants and nightspots. Pink dots appear to represent the females who have checked in, while blue spots appear for males. The bigger the spot, the more visitors of that gender at that time. So, if the pink dot is bigger than the blue dot at your favorite hotspot tonight, then there are more females there than males.

Another great application for singles who are looking for a way to plan a night out is Meet Moi. This application, available for iPhone and Android uses GPS technology to update your location information in real time and sends you alerts when potential matches are in a location near yours. To use the service, you sign up and set up a profile with the service, indicating what you’re looking for in a date. Then, when you’re out and about, and a potential match is nearby, you’ll both get a message. This is a cool service, because it combines the best of online dating with meeting people in person.

So, next time you’re feeling like it’s time to meet someone new, why not let technology work in your favor?

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1327/phone-apps-for-dating/feed/ 0 How successful is online dating? http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1314/how-successful-is-online-dating/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1314/how-successful-is-online-dating/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:33 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1314 If the claims of dating companies are to be believed, we are moving towards an age where meeting your significant other from behind a computer screen (or a mobile phone) is the norm rather than the exception! Facts and figures about the success of online dating services are not in short supply. For instance, EHarmony now claims credit for 5% percent of all new marriages in the US. Their main competitor, Match.com, together with research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey conducted a study which indicated that one in six marriages (17%) over the past three years was between couples who met via a dating website.

Just to put that into perspective, the findings of the Match.com study showed that twice as many marriages in the US took place between people who met online, than in bars, clubs and social events combined. Meanwhile, the world’s largest free site, Plentyoffish claims on its home page that 20,000 new singles are joining the site every day.

But just how realistic are these statistics?

Dating companies clearly have a vested interest in advertising the success and popularity of online dating. So just how realistic are these claims? Independent estimates of the numbers of visitors to online dating sites certainly seem to confirm them. With several thousand online dating sites in operation in 2011, and over 200 million active personal profiles, this means that about 1 in 5 (20%) of today’s internet users have a dating profile (excluding social networking sites which can also be used for dating).

However people have different motivations for joining a dating site. Not all are looking for a committed relationship, as a significant proportion of dating profiles are posted on adult oriented sites. Others sign-up because knowing other people still find them desirable makes them feel good about themselves. Even taking these cases into account, the findings of the dating companies do seem to be entirely plausible.

While internet dating is clearly a popular and growing phenomenon, we’ll have to wait a few more years yet before we find out how successful online marriages are in the long-term.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1314/how-successful-is-online-dating/feed/ 0 Urban Social Events Take Off http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1123/urban-social-events-take-off/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/1123/urban-social-events-take-off/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:12:12 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=1123 One of the challenges of online dating is actually getting out there to meet other singles. The pressures that come with having to meet face to face, one on one, can be huge and for many singles it’s intimidating enough to make them think twice about online dating.

Now there’s a good solution that brings together the best of online dating with the best of getting out there to meet other people. Urban Social is an online dating company that offers traditional online services, but also expands its reach into local areas by partnering with other companies to create in-person events and activities. This is not necessarily a brand new approach; other online dating services have tried to offer events and gatherings as part of their services.

What makes the Urban Social approach different is that they are not actually putting on the events themselves but rather working with third parties who do the actual event planning and execution. It’s a partnership model that works well, especially in smaller markets where the local partner knows what will be popular and cost effective for that area. All they have to do is set themselves up with Urban Social, put together an event outline for Urban Social to approve, and then Urban Social partners with them to promote and support the event.

So whether you’re a single looking for interesting events and activities in your area or someone who would like to create a singles event for your community, take a look at Urban Social. You just might find something exciting to really take off!

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