Photo by Por mi tripa on Flickr   Created  by  Jaimie  Laing  

Over the past several years,

Photo by mikebaird on Flickr  

the persona of online dating and using algorithms to calculate true love has changed to a

more positive way to meet your life partner.

Source: Zytko, Douglas Photo by CAFNR on Flickr

smartphone apps such as Tinder, OKCupid, eHarmony, Grinder, and POF, allow people to….

Today,

...match with a compatible partner,

Photo by {AndreaRenee} on Flickr  

communicate online...    

Source: Zytko, Douglas

...and meet in person.

Photo by Dmahendra on Flickr   Source: Zytko, Douglas

Photo by zumito on Flickr  

What are the odds you’ll find your life partner online?

Photo by desertdutchman on Flickr  

There are over 91 million people around the world using dating

apps between the ages of

16 to 34.

Source:  Seal,  Kelly  

Photo by seanmcgrath on Flickr   Source: Bilton, Nick

Over the past two years, Tinder alone has been able to match

over 12 million users.  

Photo by netzanette on Flickr   Source: Smith, Arron and Maeve Duggan  

And 66% of the users have been on at least one date with

someone they met online.

Photo by Instant Vantage on Flickr  

Some people believe that online relationships

do not lead to real life dating,

but they couldn’t be more wrong!

Source: Hardy, Marcelina  

Photo by gazzat on Flickr   Sources: Zytko, Douglas  

1/3 of married couples met online and...

Photo by Anne Marthe Widvey on Flickr   Source:  Daily  Mail  Reporter  

....within 20 years researchers expect this number to increase to 1/2.

Photo by martinak15 on Flickr  

Only 5.96% of online married couples requested a divorce, compared to 7.67% that

met offline.

Source: Larry Magid

This shows that people around the world are not only finding love

online, but they are also maintaining it.

Photo by seanmcgrath on Flickr  

Photo by HarryetN on Flickr   Source: Wortham, Jenna

“Tech entrepreneurs have been shifting their

~  Jenna  Wortham      

attention to people after they meet a mate.”

Photo by iklash/ on Flickr   Source: Knightstep, Jennifer

Apps such as Skype, Avocado, Couple, SnapChat, Bliss, and Facetime allow online couples to maintain their relationships.

“Smartphone applications and services help to collapse time

and space to talk to each other in real time.”

Photo by thronx on Flickr   Source: Wortham, Jenna

~ Jenna Wortham

Photo by jenny downing on Flickr   Source: Greer, Melissa

“Long distance couples have stronger bonds because they are able to have more constant and meaningful conversations.”

~ Melissa Greer

Photo by Ed Yourdon on Flickr   Source: Nguyen, Liem  

Although  couples  can  communicate  online,  they  sBll  face problems that  apps  cannot  fix,  such  

as  jealousy  and  a  lack of trust.

But a big problem  that online couples face is...

…scheduling time to talk due to separate time zones.

Photo by Faugel on Flickr   Source: Wortham, Jenna  

Photo by Jozi Duarte on Flickr   Source: Can I Find My True Soulmate Online?

With the rise in technology and dating services, more people are turning to the web to find a soulmate.

Photo by Spenser Marie on Flikr  

Who knows, maybe online dating could help you find Mr. or Mrs. Right!

Source: Poulter, Sean  

References  

Can  I  Find  My  True  Soulmate  Online?  Keen.  Web.  6  June.  2015..  hKp://www.keen.com/arBcles/love/can-­‐i-­‐find-­‐my-­‐true-­‐soulmate-­‐online  >    Chayka,  Kyle.  The  New,  Improved  Online  Friendship.  New  York  Magazine.  2012.  Web.  7  June.  2015.    <hKp://nymag.com/next/2015/03/new-­‐improved-­‐online-­‐friendship.html>      Bilton,  Nick.  Tinder,  the  Fast-­‐Growing  Da>ng  App,  Taps  an  Age-­‐Old  Truth.  Fashion  &  Style.  11  Oct.  2014.  Web.  8  June.  2015.      <hKp://www.nyBmes.com/2014/10/30/fashion/Bnder-­‐the-­‐fast-­‐growing-­‐daBng-­‐app-­‐taps-­‐an-­‐age-­‐old-­‐truth.html?_r=0>    Greer,  Melissa.  Are  long-­‐distance  rela>onships  beDer?  Best  Health.  Mar.  2014.  Web.  8  June.  2015.<<      <hKp://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-­‐you/relaBonships/are-­‐long-­‐distance-­‐relaBonships-­‐beKer#i1GYeLkFyurYlfz0.97  >    Hardy,  Marcelina.  Why  Online  Da>ng  Doesn’t  Work.  LovetoKnow.      <  hKp://daBng.lovetoknow.com/Why_Online_DaBng_Doesn't_Work      Magid,  Larry.  A  Third  of  Recently  Married  Couples  Met  Online  and  They’re  More  SaBsfied  and  Less  Likely  To  Split  Up.  Forbes.  6  Mar.  2013.  Web.  8  June.  2015.    hKp://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2013/06/03/a-­‐third-­‐of-­‐recently-­‐married-­‐couples-­‐met-­‐online-­‐and-­‐theyre-­‐more-­‐saBsfied-­‐and-­‐less-­‐likely-­‐to-­‐split-­‐up/  >    Nguyen,  Liem.  5  Long  Distance  Rela>onship  Problems  that  Most  Couples  Have  to  Face.  I  Love  My  LSI.  24  May.  2015.  Web.  6  June.  2015.  <hKp://ilovemylsi.com/5-­‐long-­‐distance-­‐relaBonship-­‐problems-­‐that-­‐most-­‐couples-­‐have-­‐to-­‐face/  >      Poulter,  Sean.  Online  da>ng  can  help  you  find  your  perfect  partner,  research  shows.  MailOnline.  25  Feb.  2009.    Web.  8  June.  2015.hKp://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arBcle-­‐1144129/Online-­‐daBng-­‐CAN-­‐help-­‐perfect-­‐partner-­‐research-­‐shows.html        Seal,  Kelly.  New  Report  on  Da>ng  App  Trends  Reveals  Some  Surprises.  DaBng  Sites  Reviews.  11  Mar.  2015.  Web.  7  June.    2015.  <  hKp://www.daBngsitesreviews.com/arBcle.php?story=new-­‐report-­‐on-­‐daBng-­‐app-­‐trends-­‐reveals-­‐some-­‐surprises  >    Smith,  Arron,  and  Maeve  Duggan.  Online  Da>ng  &  Rela>onships.  Pew  Research  Center.  21  Oct.  2013.  Web.  9  June.  2015.  <hKp://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-­‐daBng-­‐relaBonships/  >    Wortham,  Jenna.  I  Had  a  Nice  Time  Tonight  With  You,  On  The  App.  Bits.  15  April.  2014.  Web.  8  June.  2015.    <  hKp://bits.blogs.nyBmes.com/2014/04/05/i-­‐had-­‐a-­‐nice-­‐Bme-­‐with-­‐you-­‐tonight-­‐on-­‐the-­‐app/  >    Zytko,  Douglas.  Impression  Management  Through  Communica>on  in  Online  Da>ng.  New  Jersey  InsBtute  of  Technology.  15  Feb.  2014.  Web.  7  June.  2015.    <  hKp://dl.acm.org/citaBon.cfm?id=2556487&dl=ACM&coll=DL&CFID=682200559&CFTOKEN=27421442  >