Community Chat

[RollTide2008]

I met some cool cool people and had fun using internet dating sites. I had a child young enough to need a sitter and had a demanding job when I got divorced. Socializing online fit my lifestyle.

[Harvard99]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

.Maybe I've watched too many Discovery ID episodes, but I would never put myself at risk by meeting a stranger.  Too many bad things happen...too many creeps and weirdos out there.

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But even before online dating, how much did someone really know about a guy they just met at work, school, a bar.  Not much usually.  It always paid to be very careful.  It's just a different tool for a different time.

[ALRATIBA]

No, but one of my friends joined "My Time" (I think that's the name) that dating service for over 50s.  It's frequently advertised on TV.

But - no responses from anyone she had any desire to actually meet and go out with.  One picture she showed me was really creepy!

[KentuckyWoman]

If I were single, angels would be ice skating in the bowels of hades before I would use one of those dating services.  No.  Way.

[viva923]

I have been with my husband 51 yrs married 49 yrs.

I don't think i would use any of those dating sites. 

DH mom (was married over 50 + years) husband passed away in 04. she met 2nd husband while doing her daily walks which she did daily same area. she met a gentleman ( his 1st wife died of breast cancer about 2 yrs before DH mom and this gentleman met) who was bout same age on these walks, they began walking together, after some 2 yrs they tied the knot, but, it was not a good union. his kids hated dh mom, they would not even let her in their house. DH mom 2nd husband got very sick about 2 yr into marriage, he took turn for worse, passed away after about 3 yrs of being married. His kids were were so mean and vindictive, they told DH mom not to come to thier dads funeral, they told her she would be arrested if she showed up. It was not a good union. 

DH mom is now living in a nursing home she is near 95. She is still doing fairly well for her age.

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

Way,way back when I dated my friends and I usually double dated.  I usually went out with relatives of friends (a cute cousin or sometimes a brother) or a guy that someone I knew well could vouch for.

I just can't picture myself dating at closing in on 70 let alone getting married again.I am too set in my ways and most men would be too. At this age if I wanted a companion who loved me and was loyal I'd get a dog. lol

A 85 yr. old woman I know got married, he was 90. She walked everyday and had for decades.   New hubby decided she was having an affair on her walks. She wasn't. Needless to say she divorced the old fool. That is too old for such drama.

[Financialgrl]

Mid 60s and my BF just died 6 months ago.  We met and were very good friends back in 1978, lost touch and years later met again and were together for over 30 years.  A friend of mine just lost her husband a year ago and we've talked about this - - neither of us is willing to put the time and effort it takes to get to the point of what we had and lost and we are both fine with that.  I have friends and family nearby and am fine living alone.  

[Spurt]

Watch out with those sites....my sister's BFF uses those sites and she discovered accidently thatva lot of the dates were married, they just wanted a little "action" on the side.....In particular be leery of long distance "candidates".....easier to hide their marriage...

There are a lot of creepy people out there, or some are just looking for a "sugar momma" to provide them with a place to live, help pay their debts, get them a loan for a car, buy them everything they want or need...(a particular horror story happened to a divorced co-worker looking for a husband and father for her kids....)   

Better to meet someone as a volunteer for a charity or civic organization (there's a common interest, plus most organizations do a background check too), or a hobby group etc.... 

Here's some facts...

According to online dating literature, dating services can't really improve relationship outcomes. On dating sites like Match.com, which allow users to make their own dating decisions, daters have difficulty meeting the right partners. Studies show that they are unable to make successful selections.  A lot of the men seem to be looking for just a "hook up". Only 17% of marriages start through Online Dating. According to the StatisticBrain Research Institute, 1 in 5 relationships and a little more than 1 in 6 marriages begin online. Only about 17% of marriages and 20% of relationships begin online. According to research conducted at Michigan State University, relationships that start out online are 28% more likely to break down in their first year, than relationships where the couples first met face-to-face. And it gets worse. Couples who met online are nearly 3 times as likely to get divorced as couples that met face-to-face.

Nobody knows how dangerous online dating really is—and dating sites won't talk about it. ... But fake profiles abound, sexual predators use the sites, and some common online dating behavior—like meeting alone after scant acquaintance, sharing personal information, and using geolocation—puts users at risk.

[GenXmuse]

Everyone’s a stranger until you meet them. 

I’ve never heard of anyone being killed or assaulted using online dating. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened but  It seems like we’d hear about it if it were a problem. Statistics show you’re more likely to be killed/assaulted by someone you know. 

I feel like Match.com is less of a hookup place than Tinder. At least that’s be my experience, plus you do pay for match.com whereas Tinder is free. 

The people I know who’ve used e-harmony haven’t had any luck. There isn’t as large of a pool and the fees are quite a bit higher. 

[DiAnne]

None of the single men I know have done on-line dating and don't seem to have any problem finding dates.