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Scams -

Around half (52%) of online dating platform users claimed to have come across someone trying to scam them. This was more prevalent in men under 50. Among this age group, 63% said they had experienced this. With regards to women, 44% (of any age) claimed the same.

Sources: (Pew Research Center 1 and 2)

See also: Is your data safe? What to delete from social media

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Three in 10 adults have used it -

According to a survey of 6,034 adults, three in 10 respondents said they used online dating.

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Younger adults used it more -

Just over half of those aged under 30 (53%) said they had used a dating site or app, whereas just 37% of those aged between 30 and 49 reported the same.

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But older respondents also experienced online dating -

When it comes to those aged 50 to 64, only 20% said they had used a site or app. But while respondents aged 65 or older are in the minority, 13% did say they engaged in online dating in 2022.

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Sexual orientation -

Lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adults (as per the survey classification) are more fond of online dating, when compared to heterosexual adults, with 51% saying they have used it. As for straight adults, the number goes down to 28%.

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Men and women -

Men are more likely to use online dating when compared to women (34% vs. 27%).

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Education -

Those with a college-level education are more likely to try online dating than those who just completed high school or less.

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Status -

Those who have never been married dominate online dating platform use (52%).

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Status -

As for divorced, separated, or widowed adults, 36% tried online dating in 2022.

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Tinder takes the lead -

Tinder is the most used online dating app, with 46% of respondents reporting having used it. It's then followed by Match (31%) and Bumble (28%).

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Other online dating apps and sites -

Only about a fifth of online dating users who participated in the survey reported using OkCupid, eHarmony, and Hinge.

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Less used -

Only 6% of the respondents reported using Grindr and 3% said they have used HER. These were primarily used by LGB users. In addition, 31% claimed to have used other platforms not mentioned in the survey.

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Age differences -

Tinder is the favorite among users under 30, with 70% claiming to have used it. Only 11% of those 50 and older used Tinder, and 50% said they had used Match.

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Relationship success rate -

One in 10 participants who are married, living with a partner, or in a committed relationship met their current partner via online dating. The percentage is significantly higher for LGB users, with a 24% success rate.

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Positive vs. negative experience overall -

There is a small difference between those who rated their experience with online dating as very or somewhat positive and those who considered it to be very or somewhat negative: 53% and 46%, respectively.

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Positive vs. negative experience: men and women -

Men reported a slightly more positive experience with online dating when compared to women (57% vs. 48%).

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Positive vs. negative experience: LGB and straight -

The rate among LGB users is higher than those of straight users, with 61% reporting positive experiences (61% vs. 53%).

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Paying for extra features -

Overall, 35% of users said that they paid to use one of these online dating platforms. The percentage among men is considerably higher at 41% in comparison to the percentage of women who paid for these services, which was 29%.

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Paying for extra features -

Users who paid more for extra features included those with higher incomes (45%) and those aged 30 or older (41%). Among those with lower incomes, only 28% paid, and only 22% of users aged under 30 paid for extra features. Those who paid, in general, rate their experience as more positive than those who didn’t pay.

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Messages -

Overall, 55% of users reported feeling insecure about the number of messages they received, while 36% reported feeling overwhelmed.

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Messages: men vs. women -

Women reported feeling more overwhelmed with the volume of messages (54%) when compared to men (25%), whereas men reported feeling more insecure about the lack of messages (64%) when compared to women (40%).

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Types of relationship -

The difference between users who used online dating to meet a long-term partner and those who used it for casual dating is not great: 44% vs. 40%, respectively. In addition, 24% claimed to have used online dating platforms to have casual sex, while 22% said they did so to make new friends.

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Finding a long-term partner -

About four in 10 users (42%) claimed that online dating made their search for a long-term partner easier. Though 22% said it made it harder, and 32% claimed it made no difference.

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Skepticism -

Only 21% of users believed the algorithms on online dating platforms can predict whether two people will fall for each other. A whopping 35% believed these can’t predict love at all, and 43% were not sure.

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Safety -

The percentage of users who rated online dating as a safe way to meet new people decreased since 2019, from 53% to 48%. Women’s confidence was lower than men’s, with 57% claiming it to be unsafe (41% of men found it to be unsafe as well).

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Safety -

Though 57% of respondents who believed online dating to be unsafe had never used it. Among those who had, the number dropped down to 32%.

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Background checks -

A whopping 60% of respondents think online dating companies should do background checks before a profile is created. Again, this figure includes those who never used online dating as well. Among online dating app and site users, 47% think background checks should be done.

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Younger women experience more unwanted behaviors -

Over half (56%) of women under 50 who had used online dating platforms claimed to have been sent an unsolicited sexually explicit message or image. Overall, 38% of online dating users received such messages/images.

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Unwanted behaviors -

Among users, 43% reported being contacted after they said they were not interested, 37% were called an offensive name, and 11% actually received threats of physical harm.

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