Remember when we pulled out the tagline in our ads “Who even meets in real life anymore?” Well, lo and behold, we were f***ing right. Is anyone surprised?
The survey
Two researchers from Stanford and the University of New Mexico tag teamed to collect surveys from 3,510 heterosexual couples and asked them how they met.
It only included heterosexual couples since, according to researchers, people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are always more likely to use online dating to meet partners.
What’s the scoop?
In 1995, 2% of heterosexual couples met online.
By 2000, that number rose to 5%.
In 2010, it skyrocketed to 20%.
Now, in 2017, 39% of opposite-sex couples hit it off using online dating!
The unpublished study used information from a dataset that’s been updated consistently since 2009. The increasing trend has also been confirmed by the Pew Research Center. Online dating is just where it’s at, y’all.
At the same time online dating’s been trending upward, meeting in organic ways like through friends and family has been making a steady decline downward. For example, in 1995, hetero couples who met via friends sat at 33% but dropped to 20% in 2017. A drop also happened for those who met at work and for those who met through family.
Since 1995, the only category other than online to increase were taverns and eateries. However, once the researchers dug a little deeper, they found out that they had only met up at those places after meeting online first.
Why the online dating trend upward?
The study pinpoints 4 potential reasons for the big spike upward:
- Allows for a broader dating pool
- It’s a place where your dating preferences can be expressed without judgement from friends or family
- It provides updated information on who is single and ready to mingle
- Compatibility is increased through things like personality tests and survey questions (which on Clover can be found in the form of matching filters and dating preferences)
Not only that but online dating can take so much pressure off. It can give people who struggle with social anxiety a leg up. You can date from the comfort of your own home after a busy day at work and relax at the same time. It’s perfect for busy people on the go who haven’t given up on love, lust or whatever they’re looking for! Plus, with Clover, you’ve got the in-app dating calendar basically setting dates up for you.
What’s not to love?!
Do you know someone who met their partner online? Let us know in the comments!
H/T: ICPSR, Stanford.edu
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