"With one in three internet users saying they would use the web to meet a dating partner, the accusation that it takes the romance out of relationships no longer rings true" (Hanman, 2005).

love

Shy People
Busy Peoples
Elderly
Gay and Lesbians
Married Men/Women

Shy people

Martyn Sedlen, a single college professor from Bristol, confesses how online dating has helped him get past his shyness. "She (Sedlen's friend) was fed up of me moping around the house, and I'm quite the shy person. She thought that it would be an easy way for me to meet like-minded people"(Hanman, 2005).

Online dating does not require much confidence or interpersonal skills, and thus even socially challenged people can partake in the online dating experience. Successful online relationships also help boost shy people's confidence and self-image.

Busy singles, single parents or divorcees

The 2005 National Singles Week survey revealed that the singles market is bigger than ever, almost 48% of the adult population is single and waiting to fall in love (Hanman, 2005). Judi James, Match.com's relationship expert stated that, "the problem for singles has been that most jobs demand priority time so social pursuits, which involve searching for a partner, have fallen by the wayside. Searching for a partner has to fit in with existing demands so we can no longer afford to be random, which is why online dating is so effective" (Hanman, 2005). Online dating allows people new convenient ways to meet different types of people. Within a click of the mouse, you can find someone that you are interested in.

Elderly

"It's a date quake," says Judsen Culbreth, author of The Boomer's Guide to Online Dating. "There's a huge boom in mature online daters" (Sachs, 2005).

"You don't have to be a beauty queen or a young babe to find interesting people on the Net. People think that their romantic lives are over because of age, but it have nothing to do with it," said Waller, a psychotherapist in Milwaukee who logged onto chatrooms and then Match.com after her second husband died in 1996 (Associated Press, 2005). She's now in a serious relationship with an executive-turned farms, bit said she met dozens of other interesting men over the Internet.

Baby boomers, like Judsen and Waller, are finding themselves single again. 16% of active dating site users are 55 or older (Associated Press 2005). Accordingly, with the growing number of older users, there have been a rise in the number of dating sites that either specifically target older audiences or provide special services for the seniors that will make their online dating experience easier. For instance, Attractone.com is trying to launch a service that will bring Web cams into seniors centers so that the seniors can meet their friends or potential partners (Associated Press 2005). Seniorfriendfinder.com, dating site specifically for seniors, is an example of a dating site targeted toward the older generations.

Gay and Lesbians

Gay and lesbian web sites have become increasingly popular in recent years (O'Connor, 2005). The internet has not only opened the transgression of geographical and temporal boundaries but has also allowed opportunities for political mobilization, identity play, increased anonymity and the meeting of other gays and lesbians within the safety and confines of cyberspace.

People of the same-sex orientation are becoming more accepted into the dominant social fabric of our society. This social mind-shift has allowed for the rise in online dating (O'Connor, 2005). Online dating sites, such as GayCrawler.com (an online directory for gay and lesbian people), have been created specifically for gay men and lebsian women. Online dating services appeal to gay and lesbian communities because of the freedom and privacy that the Internet provides. They are allow to build communities without being perscuted, ridiculed, or harassed. The Internet gives them new oportunities to meet a diverse array of people without being subjected to criticism from the outside community.

Married Men/Women

"Never before has the dating world been so handy for married men and women looking for a fling," said Beatriz Avila Mileham, who conducted the research for her doctoral dissertation in counselor education at UF. "With cybersex, there is no longer any need for secret trips to obscure motels. An online liaison may even take place in the same room with one's spouse (University of Florida, 2003). Thinking they won't get caught, married men and women cheat on their spouses online (University of Florida, 2003). The Internet makes it easy for people to create false identities. Some users fabricate their online identities by writing that they are single, while they are married. These people seek entertainment and a different lifestyle by manipulating sincere online daters looking to find love on the Web.



	Are you ready for online dating? Take a QUIZ to find out!
USERS OF ONLINE DATING SITES "With one in three internet users saying they would use the web to meet a dating partner, the accusation that it takes the romance out of relationships no longer rings true" (Hanman, 2005). Shy People Busy Peoples Elderly Gay and Lesbians Married Men/Women Shy people Martyn Sedlen, a single college professor from Bristol, confesses how online dating has helped him get past his shyness. "She (Sedlen's friend) was fed up of me moping around the house, and I'm quite the shy person. She thought that it would be an easy way for me to meet like-minded people"(Hanman, 2005). Online dating does not require much confidence or interpersonal skills, and thus even socially challenged people can partake in the online dating experience. Successful online relationships also help boost shy people's confidence and self-image. back to top Busy singles, single parents or divorcees The 2005 National Singles Week survey revealed that the singles market is bigger than ever, almost 48% of the adult population is single and waiting to fall in love (Hanman, 2005). Judi James, Match.com's relationship expert stated that, "the problem for singles has been that most jobs demand priority time so social pursuits, which involve searching for a partner, have fallen by the wayside. Searching for a partner has to fit in with existing demands so we can no longer afford to be random, which is why online dating is so effective" (Hanman, 2005). Online dating allows people new convenient ways to meet different types of people. Within a click of the mouse, you can find someone that you are interested in. back to top Elderly "It's a date quake," says Judsen Culbreth, author of The Boomer's Guide to Online Dating. "There's a huge boom in mature online daters" (Sachs, 2005). "You don't have to be a beauty queen or a young babe to find interesting people on the Net. People think that their romantic lives are over because of age, but it have nothing to do with it," said Waller, a psychotherapist in Milwaukee who logged onto chatrooms and then Match.com after her second husband died in 1996 (Associated Press, 2005). She's now in a serious relationship with an executive-turned farms, bit said she met dozens of other interesting men over the Internet. Baby boomers, like Judsen and Waller, are finding themselves single again. 16% of active dating site users are 55 or older (Associated Press 2005). Accordingly, with the growing number of older users, there have been a rise in the number of dating sites that either specifically target older audiences or provide special services for the seniors that will make their online dating experience easier. For instance, Attractone.com is trying to launch a service that will bring Web cams into seniors centers so that the seniors can meet their friends or potential partners (Associated Press 2005). Seniorfriendfinder.com, dating site specifically for seniors, is an example of a dating site targeted toward the older generations. back to top Gay and Lesbians Gay and lesbian web sites have become increasingly popular in recent years (O'Connor, 2005). The internet has not only opened the transgression of geographical and temporal boundaries but has also allowed opportunities for political mobilization, identity play, increased anonymity and the meeting of other gays and lesbians within the safety and confines of cyberspace. People of the same-sex orientation are becoming more accepted into the dominant social fabric of our society. This social mind-shift has allowed for the rise in online dating (O'Connor, 2005). Online dating sites, such as GayCrawler.com (an online directory for gay and lesbian people), have been created specifically for gay men and lebsian women. Online dating services appeal to gay and lesbian communities because of the freedom and privacy that the Internet provides. They are allow to build communities without being perscuted, ridiculed, or harassed. The Internet gives them new oportunities to meet a diverse array of people without being subjected to criticism from the outside community. back to top Married Men/Women "Never before has the dating world been so handy for married men and women looking for a fling," said Beatriz Avila Mileham, who conducted the research for her doctoral dissertation in counselor education at UF. "With cybersex, there is no longer any need for secret trips to obscure motels. An online liaison may even take place in the same room with one's spouse (University of Florida, 2003). Thinking they won't get caught, married men and women cheat on their spouses online (University of Florida, 2003). The Internet makes it easy for people to create false identities. Some users fabricate their online identities by writing that they are single, while they are married. These people seek entertainment and a different lifestyle by manipulating sincere online daters looking to find love on the Web. back to top
Sources \| Contact Me \| © 2005 Hannah Na