Are Dating Sites Successful?

If you are in a relationship that began in the last decade, it's a good bet you met your mate online. In fact, according to some recent research, online dating has grown from its humble beginnings -- YouTube was originally a dating site that lasted as such for only a few days because no one seemed interested -- to perhaps the most common way of meeting one's match. Reuben J. Thomas of the University of New Mexico and Michael Rosenfeld and Sonia Hausen of Stanford University analyzed findings from several earlier studies and came to the conclusion that dating apps have gained credibility over the years, and that has translated into successful relationships for both gay and straight people. According to their findings, 65 percent of same-sex couples and 39 percent of heterosexual couples who got involved in 2017 met online. “People used to make up stories about how they met, so they wouldn’t have to admit that they met online, but now many people embrace it," Thomas told the website Quartz.

Dating in the modern age:

• The likelihood of divorce is inversely proportional to the length of time a couple dates before marriage.
• On average, it takes between six and eight dates for couples to become monogamous.
• A woman who posts a photo on an Internet dating site gets approximately twice as many responses as one who doesn't.