Over 5,500 singles were surveyed as part of the annual Singles in America Study by Match.com and here are their thoughts on dating in 2017:
- 68% of men want to find love this year. Only 12% want a casual relationship. This is contrary to popular opinion – men want love just as much as women.
- 55% of singles believe technology has made dating harder.
- 50% had created an online profile.
- One in six singles say they feel addicted to the process of looking for a date. Millennials are resilient and are 125% more likely to admit they are addicted to the process of making a love connection vs any other generation.
- 97% of men are more likely to feel addicted to dating than women and 54% of women feel burned out by the process.
- 42% of singles judge a date first by their social media posts; 42% judge by their photos, 39% judge by their grammar and 37% judge on their teeth/smile and 35% on their outfit. These results are similar to a survey I carried called What Perth Singles Think.
- What are the signs that singles are falling in love, they are – 87% believe caring for them when they are sick; 83% believe attending a family event as a couple; 82% believe mentioning them to your friends; 79% believe going on holidays together and 76% believe mentioning them to your parents.
- The number one turn on for single men this year was female entrepreneurs as they are seen as creative, industrious, self-confident and daring.
- 75% of singles are turned off if you answer your phone on a date without offering an explanation.
- 66% are turned off if you text someone during a date.
- 58% don’t want you to place your phone on the table during the date.
- 57% are upset if you read the occasional text during the date.
- 41% think it is rude if you take your phone with you to the bathroom or outside.
- Apparently phone compatibility matters – Android users are 15 times more likely to judge you negatively for having an iPhone and iPhone owners are 21 times more likely to judge you for having an Android phone.
- 92% of women are more likely to judge you for having an older model phone. In fact those who have older model phones are 56% less likely to get a date in the year. 14% of singles don’t like a cracked screen either.
- 58% of singles are turned off by someone who complains on Facebook.
- 50% of singles are turned off by people who are too active on social media.
- 44% dislike those who voted for Trump and 42% dislike people who didn’t bother to vote in the election.
- 22% of millennials (born between 1982 and 2004) feel technology has made it more difficult to find love.
- 57% of millennials are lonely.
- 51% of millennials are more likely than baby boomers to have NO interest in sex.
- Millennials are more serious about sex and 28% have sex to see if they love someone. 40% of millennials are more likely than other generations to believe that an emotional connection makes sex better and are the least likely generation to have cheated on a partner.
- Millennials are 30% more likely than any other generation to want to find a relationship in 2017 and will use technology to do it.
- 57% of singles have FOMO (fear of missing out) – this comes seeing other peoples lives on social media.
- The survey found the most successful places to flirt were bars, laundromats and the gym.
- The most hated cliches were – You’ve got to put yourself out there; Don’t be so picky and It will happen when you least expect it.
- 65% if singles don’t find dating advice helpful.
- Most singles don’t have a clear understanding of what feminism is.
- 59% of single men believe feminism has changed the dating rules for the better.
- 63% of women believe that feminism has made them pickier about potential dates.
- Regardless of feminism and the change in dating rules only 29% of women initiate a first kiss; 23% initiate sex for the first time and only 13% ask a guy for his number.
