Remember back in the early days of online dating, when we were just a little embarrassed to admit that we’d met our boyfriend online? That meant we were desperate, right? Or undesirable, uninteresting and maybe even a loser. A lot has changed since the ubiquitous “You’ve got mail” notification, and now it’s no longer odd or embarrassing to say you met your spouse over the internet. And even better, those married couples who met online may get the last laugh, as a recent study suggests there are less likely to divorce than other couples.
In a survey sponsored by online dating site eHarmony.com, married couples who met online showed a slightly lower rate of divorce than couples who met through other means. Some key conclusions of the study include:
- The majority of couples who meet online range from their mid-twenties to middle age, and are generally financially secure.
- The study looked at couples who married between 2005 and 2012. 5.9% of those who met online had divorced, while 7.6% of those who met offline had divorced, so the odds favor online couples!
- 45% of the 19,000 people surveyed met on online dating sites, and another 21% met through social networks like Facebook and MySpace.
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- Individuals who met their spouses online skewed as being slightly happier in their marriages than those who met through other avenues.
- Couples who meet online may have more successful marriages because presumably, they go to dating sites looking for a relationship, rather than stumbling into one, and this may contribute to stability.
We think that last point makes a lot of sense. While it’s just as easy to meet a loser online as it is through other means of introduction, online dating lets you screen for potential partners with whom you share common interests, and who are looking for the same type of relationship as you, whether it’s marriage, a committed LTR, or casual dating. So what used to be the “last resort” for lonely singles may just be the best place to start looking for love!
