If there’s one aspect of online dating that is undeniable, it’s the fact it’s an activity with a universal appeal. There are no countries in the world that don’t have their fair share of virtual daters, and within these locations, older singles are just as likely to be signing up as younger individuals. Although it’s difficult to quantify what constitutes ‘middle-aged’ these days, statistics do reveal the over-40s right up to over over-70s are amongst the most enthusiastic demographic of all. Why should this be the case? What are the pros and cons of online dating for those in later life?

Pros:

Convenience

Aside from the present pandemic situation closing down social arenas, there are fewer outlets available to people the older they get. Much as mature individuals might love chart songs or dancing, they might feel ill at ease in clubs or bars surrounded by youngsters. Referring to a senior dating sites list will present a wide array of options – and all you need is access to a web browser.

Meeting kindred spirits

One of the difficulties with connecting with strangers in social settings is not knowing much about their backgrounds or motivations. Matching websites present the profiles of everyone who is a member. Once you’ve been through the application process you can browse through this information, or tailor search forms according to the type of person you want to meet.

The site user is in control

The moment you sign up to a site, you effectively take charge of your destiny. It’s up to you whether you home in on other seniors who might make new friends, or you pursue more romantic liaisons. If you spend some time chatting with someone only for them to vanish from your radar, or you lose interest yourself, you’ve not actually lost anything. You are in charge of who you decide to pursue a relationship with.

Romance and friendship

Where a lot of younger site users are keen to take advantage of technology such as instant geo-location, basing connections on nothing more meaningful than those singles who happen to be closest, you can decide your ultimate goal. You can meet a wide circle of friends by introducing yourself in chat rooms and getting involved in group discussions. Or you can opt for a more intimate one-on-one chat with prospective partners.

Cons:

A degree of commitment is required

It can take some effort to go through the registration process of joining a dating site. As well as copious questionnaires intended to establish your compatibility, you need to commit to messaging other site users regularly if you want to stand a chance of building a rapport.

Real or fake contacts?

Because you are only connecting to a username and pixellated images in the first instance, you have no way of determining the accuracy of the person you are contacting. Although sites go out of their way to eliminate fake profiles by demanding ID verification, some will inevitably slip through. There are unscrupulous users out there who are out to gain your trust – and your bank account password.

Unwelcome advances

Some dating site members, particularly Millennials, will be used to being forward on these platforms. A lot of sites make no apologies for encouraging ‘no strings attached’ encounters. You’ll need to develop a thicker skin if you’re going to join a dating site in later life. A surefire way to dissuade unwanted interest would be to draw a suitor’s attention to any baggage you have accumulated in your life, such as grown-up children. That would sift out the pests from those with a genuine interest.

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