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Singles Dating More this Year with More Optimism

(onlinedatingmagazine.com - October 1, 2003) Singles remain optimistic in their dating outlook and have become more proactive in their search for love, according to a survey of 800 singles by Match.com. The survey also found that singles are dating a bit more today than they were two years ago.

The research by Match.com indicates that while singles are generally optimistic they will find the relationship they are seeking, their level of optimism has held steady over the last two years. Sixty-five percent of singles surveyed indicated they are optimistic they will find the relationship they are seeking in the next year, identical to the percent who indicated this in 2001 Match.com research.

In the 2003 study current users of an online dating service (76%) were more likely to say they are optimistic than were singles who have never used an online dating service (61%). The research indicates that singles are going on more first dates these days. In the 2001 study 49% of singles reported they had not been on a first date in the last 12 months, versus only 41% reporting they were dateless over the last year in the 2003 research.

Current users of online dating services are dating more than singles who have never tried online dating. While 49% of singles who have never used an online dating service reported having gone on at least one first date in the last 12 months, 81% of current users of an online dating service reported they've been on at least one first date over the past year.

More than half of the singles surveyed (54%) report they are seeking a committed relationship or marriage. Singles who are currently using an online dating services were more likely to indicate they were seeking commitment or marriage (62%) than were those who have never used an online dating service (49%). Men may be relieved to know that more singles are reporting they find splitting the tab on the first date to be appropriate today, with 37% of the singles in the 2003 survey reporting this. In a Match.com poll in 1999 only 23% of the singles surveyed thought it was appropriate to go Dutch on the first date.

Men in the 2003 survey were more likely than women to say they date partners who earn less money than they do, with (32%) of men reporting this, versus only (16%) of women. The survey revealed that singles have become more open to finding love online, with 70% of those surveyed in 2003 saying they believe it is possible to fall in love with someone they met on an online dating service, a significant increase from the 53% of singles who reported this in a similar survey in 2000.

The research also indicated that singles are becoming more comfortable with being proactive in their dating efforts, with 46% reporting they actively search for dates that will lead to romance and love in the 2003 research, up from 40% in 2001.

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