Online dating has made what once seemed like a foreign concept for many β striking up a conversation with someone they have never met on the internet β a part of life for some Americans. The online dating industry, which has existed for several decades , has transformed the processes by which some adults find potential matches. Three-in-ten Americans say they have ever used a dating site or dating app, which is identical to the share who said this in However, there are wide differences by age.
For example, adults under 30 are far more likely than older adults to have ever used one of these sites or apps. Men are also more likely than women to have ever used a dating site or app, as are adults living in urban areas versus those from rural or suburban areas.
In contrast, similar shares of White, Black, Hispanic or Asian adults report ever using an online dating platform. As in previous Center studies , those who have never been married are more likely than those who are married to have experience with online dating. As is the case with those who have ever used these platforms, there are demographic differences among online dating users in recency of use.
Online dating users ages 18 to 29 are particularly likely to have been active on these platforms within the past year compared with their older counterparts, as are LGB users compared with straight users. While there are no racial or ethnic differences in having ever used dating sites or apps, Hispanic online dating users are more likely than White or Black online dating users to be a current or recent user of these platforms. What about those who are actively looking for connection?
These shares are statistically unchanged from With over a thousand online dating platforms available, adults who want to find matches online have a variety of sites and apps to choose from. This survey asked specifically about eight dating apps and sites and allowed people to provide the names of other platforms they have used. Some dating platforms are especially popular among certain age groups.
