Seniors and Dating: Best online dating advice
Dating is big business for the 65+ age group. With the proliferation of online dating sites and social networking groups, more and more older adults and seniors are finding love and companionship through new and different channels than previously possible.If you’re single and looking to find a mate, you should try both online dating and speed dating –two alternative methods of meeting new people. Both have pros and cons but if you keep an open mind and stay positive, each can be very rewarding and you never know……you might just meet someone!
Internet Dating
Online dating is not just for the younger set thanks to the greying of the internet. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, from 2005 to 2008, the largest jump in adoption of Internet usage was by users ages 70 and older. Internet penetration among people ages 70 to 74 increased by 19 percentage points from 2005 to 2008 and for people 75 +, the increase was 10 percentage points. All this is good news for companies that recognize and cater to the growing number of single older adults and seniors using the internet to find love and friendship.
Your representation of who you are all rests on your profile. This features a summary of you and all your individual stats (age, height, weight, education, marital status), what makes you unique and what you’re looking for in a mate. You will also need to add a recent photo(s) of yourself.
Be courteous
Online dating requires commitment and patience while scrolling through lots of profiles to see who matches the criteria you’re looking for. Be assertive if you find someone interesting but also be kind to others. If someone sends you a message online, they’ve taken the time to read about you and are interested in meeting you in person. If you’re not interested, it’s always a nice gesture to send a reply of ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ You’ll be glad you did. Common courtesy goes a long way. This is something that can get lost in our fast-paced, modern technology and superficial, and fleeting moments of human contact.
Be cautious
Once you’ve established a rapport via email and telephone, arrange to meet as soon as possible. If you wait too long to meet, you may end up becoming phone friends and will not move on to the next level. Pick a public place for coffee and let your friends know where you’re going and how to contact you. Remember: Online dating is an accelerated form of meeting people. Ultimately, you’re still strangers no matter how fast you click. Always use common sense and venture slowly.
Love match or not?
Don’t get discouraged if romance doesn’t bloom. Everyone is on their own personal journey and may be at different point in their life than you are. Even though this person may not turn out to be Prince or Princess Charming, they may prove to be a fantastic friend who could in turn introduce you to someone who does become a romantic partner. Always look for the positive benefits in every relationship that enters your life and you may be pleasantly surprised at how things play out.
6 Tips for Smart Online Dating
- Guard your privacy: Use caution when revealing personal information. Don’t give out personal information such as home address, phone number, income, and details about home ownership.
- Safety first: Stay anonymous until you feel absolutely sure you’re ready to know someone. If someone is abusive or rude, block them immediately. Always be aware of your surroundings when you meet someone and have an exit strategy for when to leave.
- Write a stand out profile: Craft your profile to grab attention and stand out from the rest. Keep it light-hearted, optimistic and inviting. Write a profile and project yourself in a light that shows you are a fun and interesting individual.
- A picture’s worth a thousand words: It’s fun to post pictures of yourself from younger days. But people want to know what you look like now so it’s only fair to include a fairly recent photo of yourself. If you post a picture of yourself when you were 30, your date may be surprised to see that you don’t look like that!
- First impressions: Remember, even though you only spend a few minutes with someone, you are still on a date. Careful what you say and stay away from taboo subjects, like religion, money, politics. Don’t drink too much and make sure you dress to impress.
- Honest engine: Always be honest in your profile. Don’t lie to impress others or hide information that can backfire later and end up hurting someone. Honesty is the best policy.
Online Dating Sites (55+)
Senior Friend Finder www.seniorfriendfinder.com
Senior People Meet www.seniorpeoplemeet.com
Lava Life (Prime) http://lavalife.com
Senior Date Finder http://seniordatefinder.com
Match www.match.ca
OKCupid http://www.okcupid.com
eHarmony http://eharmony.ca
Next...speed dating 101
****
Related Articles:
Falling in love again: Dating tips for mature adults
Seniors and dating: how to meet people
Intimacy: The fourth stage of dating
Dating after divorce: 10 tips from the trenches
