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Top five online dating services
The most popular online dating services include Yahoo Personals, PerfectMatch, eHarmony, Match.com and Chemistry.com. Yahoo Personals has a large diverse membership base and an online dating magazine that offers tips on dating. It also has multiple options for communication. PerfectMatch has around 4 million members and a duet total compatibility system. eHarmny offers matches based on character and constitution and skills for emotional makeup. Match.com has millions in membership while Chemistry.com has guided communication process that helps people to learn about each other (Top 5 online dating websites).
Percentages of people using online dating
Research posted in an article Why the number of available men or women is different shows that there are more men than women using the online dating services as shown below (Kudlak):
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(18 to 24 years) Males (10.3%), Females (9.4%),
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(25 to 29 years) Males (7.0%), Females (6.6%),
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(30 to 34 years) Males (6.7%), Females (6.4%),
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(35 to 39 years) Males (7.2%), Females (6.9%),
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(40 to 44 years) Males (7.6%), Females (7.5%),
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(45 to 49 years) Males (7.6%), Females (7.6%),
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(50 to 54 years) Males (6.8%), Females (6.9%),
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(55 to 59 years) Males (5.9%), Females (6.1%),
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(60 to 64 years) Males (4.5%), Females (4.7%),
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(65 to 69 years) Males (3.3%), Females (3.7%),
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(70 to 74 years) Males (2.6%), Females (3.1%),
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(75 to 79 years) Males (2.2%), Females (2.9%),
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(80 to 84 years) Males (1.5%), Females (2.3%),
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(Over 85 years) Males (1.0%), Females (2.3%).
The following are factors that affect the percentage of available males and females at any age:
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Male population average that is homosexual or bisexual: 4 percent
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Female population average that is homosexual or bisexual: 2 percent
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Male population average with severe disabilities: 6.0 percent
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Female population average with severe disabilities: 6.2 percent
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Male population imprisoned: 0.5 percent
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Female population imprisoned: 0.2 percent (Kudlak).
Why people go for online dating
In the US, not all the people have a preference for the night life. In addition, there might not be many single people within the radius of ones place of residence. However, beyond that proximity, there are single people who are only waiting to be noticed. Some of the single people might also be shy and not able to expose themselves to dating but the online services provide just the right option. They might end up finding a partner they will like. The dating services make it possible to meet compatible singles from ones area.
The dating services allow interested parties to look for love from the comfort and privacy of their homes. It gives people the feeling of security until that time when they feel that they have found someone they would like to meet. They also enable interaction and conversation with people online without committing oneself to dates. This works well in giving people time to know each other before they meet for their first date. Free dating services give people the advantage of a personal ad as well as an online profile (Grindley).
Advantages of online dating
People have a preference of free dating websites over paid sites. The sites give people a chance at a having a good time without any financial concerns. People are able to chat with other people with the same interests, meet new people and describe and plan to visit great places. The fun is got from casual conversations or plans to meet and date (Margaret).
In addition, there is hope for lasting relationships among the subscribers. Since there is no commitment as concerns finances, one can take all the time to get to know their potential partners better and choose the one that is more likely to be compatible with you. It always guaranteed that one will find a perfect match but there is always hope for that besides the fun of interacting with other singles in an environment that is not threatening.
Dating services ensure that one can meet and interact with other people very quickly. There are artificial barriers in knowing each other except those which the parties place for themselves. Besides, a good choice of dating services guarantees one of privacy and security. No personal information is demanded and one can block names of people that they are not interested in (Margaret).
Efficiency is another advantage when one wants to manage their social life. Sine one has the chance to know about the person they are dating, they have a choice to go out with only those that interest them. Additionally, if one is interested in long-term relationships, there is a chance to know the person better online and therefore one saves on time and money. Once you decide to meet, you are meeting a complete stranger (Margaret).
Disadvantages of online dating
When people sign up for online dating, their main aim is to find that person who will make their heartbeats increase with excitement. It is however a fact that some of the people who date online do not find this satisfaction. Some have even had to go to court. In the recent past, Match.com has been sued by a male subscriber. This enraged male claimed that the service had hooked him with one of their employees just to keep him on the service. Yahoo! Personals has also been on the same path after it was accused by Robert Anthony in San Jose of creating fake profiles to lure lonely hearts to the site. It was accused of posting the same picture of a woman under different names in different cities (Buzzle Staff and Agencies).
Some sites require blind subscription. This means that users have little ability to preview the posted profiles. Moreover, some sites keep profiles for ages and make it look like there are more available members than is actually the case. Some of the sites require that both the sender and recipient of messages subscribe before they can be connected. Circumvention leads to loss of membership.
Some of the profiles are fake like has been seen in Yahoo personals. Such profiles are only meant as baits to attract many members. In addition, some members misrepresent themselves by posting untrue profiles and misleading photographs. Online predators especially find these sites a vulnerable target. Some sites also get personal information of subscribers which they use for spam.
How the sites make money
Jupiter Research estimates that the online personals in America had accumulated revenues of about 473 million dollars in 2008. Match.com has more than 15 million subscribers. It offers a subscription of around 30 dollars a month while Yahoo charges about 20 dollars a month for the same dating services. For those who want more serious relationships, the latter charges 34.95 dollars. This sure is then a very lucrative business (Buzzle staff and Agencies). Other ways of making money include charging fees for contacting other members and for extensive search besides charges for viewing photos and profiles.
Online versus traditional dating
While traditional dating provides a chance to meet the person beforehand, not all people are lucky enough to find prospective dates on a regular basis using this method. For this group of people, online dating comes in handy since it exposes one to a wide range of interested people.
Some people are busy in life. These people value time a lot. Traditional dating demands time which some may not find. There is little time for these people to go out on dates and meeting new people. Online dating saves time. It is a step before one decides to meet that person they want to know better (Lim).
On the other hand, tradition dating does not pose the problem of location. People are acquainted at parties and social events. Online dating might provide one with the chance to meet people from all over the world but if one is interested in a person that is three continents away, it is a problem.
Traditional dating makes one attracted tone on many levels including physically. Once you meet the person for the first time, you may not have any idea what the background of that person is or their personality. However, online dating provides the chance to know the profile of a person, same interests, religion and location among other things. Chances of finding a compatible partner are high (Lim).
Cost is also different. Online dating has few financial demands. Traditional dating requires that people go out for lunch or coffee. For both kinds of dates, though, it is always important to be cautious about giving people personal information when they are still complete strangers. The dates should be safe as the person you go out with could be an angel or a nightmare (Bishop).
References
Bishop, J. Understanding and facilitating the development of social networks in online dating communities: A case study and model. In C. Romm-Livermore, & K. Setzekorn (Eds.), Social networking communities and EDating services: Concepts and implications. New York: IGI Global. 2008b.
Buzzle Staff and agencies. Online dating services being accused of deceiving lonely hearts. 2005. Web.
Grindley, Stephan. Why do people use dating services? 2008. Web.
Kudlak, J. B. Why the number of available men or women is different Part II. Web.
Liam, Alan. Difference between Traditional dating and online dating. Web.
Margaret, Ingird. Free dating websites: What are some advantages? 2008.
Top 5 online dating websites. Web.
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