A recent study conducted by Aditi Paul, PhD. of Michigan State University proposes that the probabilities of finding love on the internet are reduced when the search of a long term relationship is the goal.
With more than 4000 participants, this study reveals that only 49% of those with an online profile are looking for something serious. The majority of users is looking for casual dating or friendship. Professor Paul proposes that 3 factors come into play which make finding lasting love less probable on a dating site.
1- Too many profiles: the abundance of profiles and options incite singles to ”shop around” and to rapidly switch to another profile when even a minor dissonance occurs. Since so many other possibilities exist why commit to someone if something better possibly is out there.
2- Too long: those who meet online take more time to establish a relationship because they take more time before meeting in person. In fact, online daters have a tendency to exchange numerous emails, text messages and phone calls before actually meeting the other one in person.
3- Lack of trust: since exclusivity, commitment and trust are the pillars of a solid relationship and because of numerous experiences with individuals having doctored their online profiles, singles take too much time to establish the necessary trust to build for the future.
In closing, to put a number on the conclusions of this study, it is estimated that the average duration of a relationship between partners that have met ”offline” is 19,09 years vs. 4,34 years for those who met online. A huge difference!
Joan Paiement
