Sex and Love for Both Young and Mature Adults; Online Dating Is There

Dating Apps and Websites Offer Something for Everyone Seeking Love or Sex.

Dating has changed during the past 40 years. Gone are the days of personal ads in lefty newspapers, clumsy messages left in voicemail boxes, video dating stage fright, or professional matchmakers. In their place are the internet and mobile devices that can connect to it. According to Consumer Ranking, 40% of Americans meet potential mates via online dating, either website or mobile app. A 2022 survey by Pew Research Center had 30% of respondents claim to have used a dating site or app, nine percent within the past year.

It can be tricky to figure out but 20% of current relationships started online, one in five singles has gone on a date with someone they met on a dating site, and more than twice as many marriages happened in 2020 between couples who met online than in bars or other mainstream social opportunities.

Once the decision has been made to look for love or sex courtesy of the wonders of technology, selecting a site or app can feel daunting. There are so many of them. How do you even choose? Fortunately, it’s not as bad as it seems if you have some idea what you are looking for. Casual sex? A discreet affair? Short-term dating? Long-term dating? Marriage? Age peers? Older? Younger? Same religion? All of this and more awaits on the information superhighway.

Most services have a free trial period or offer limited access to features for free so it’s possible to try before you buy. It’s a little like dating itself. Different dating services use different ways to suggest matches, so checking to see what kind of standards or algorithms each employs is advisable. Paying for access is a good idea for those seeking a long-term relationship while those just looking for a romp can usually avoid ponying up any money.

Apps for Getting Jiggy

Plenty of Fish: A swiping-based platform known for its booty call success, there is a free version and a premium annual option. It’s available via website, iOS, and Android, but some paid features only work on Android. You can search for “M” or “F” matches traditionally, play dating games with other users, or use several other ways to find tonight’s date or the love of your life. The enormous number of Premium features can be confusing and distract from the actual looking-for-a-date thing, but it has a BBB rating of B and a Trustpilot rating of 3.4.

Tinder: Surprise, surprise! The site/iOS and Android app is synonymous with casual sex hook-ups and swiping right or left is good for casual sex hook-ups. That doesn’t mean that short and long-term relationships don’t also happen. They’re just not as famous. The app is free, there are tons of people registered, it helps you pick your best photos to display, Forbes says it claims to have produced more than 55 billion matches, and the ladies get to make the first move. That’s good for women but may be frustrating to men, who must respond within 24 hours. There is a paid option with several appealing features. Users must be photo verified, there is a claim of zero-tolerance for harassment and being queer-friendly. Alas, it has poor Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot ratings.

Zoosk: I’ve never heard of it, but everybody says this is the site to use if you’re in your 20s or early 30s and looking for someone who knows how to let themselves out of the apartment in the morning. With a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface, its 40 million members can access it via the website, iPhone, iPad, iPod, touch, Apple Vision, and Google Play. You can control how much personal information other users get, take personality assessments, and upgrade for access to some worthy extras, including streaming video. It’s photo verified, lets you meet more than one person at a time, and won’t let you send a message if you’ve got a free account. That part sucks.

Boomers and Gen-X

Date My Age: The site never says what “my age” is, but Forbes says it’s a service for “Mature Singles,” with more than 10,000 new international users per week. It is dedicated to protecting users against scams and requires that users prove they are who they say they are. You can do everything on the iOS or Android app that you can do on the website except read messages. The first month is free and can interact with paid members, but you must stay active to maintain that status. Otherwise, a paid account may be required to continue. Fortunately, that comes with some sweet benefits. 

Our Time: Forbes says this is the number one dating site for singles 50 years of age. Available as an iOS or Android app or via the website. It’s serious about connecting straight, bi, or gay people with someone to spend their remaining years with but you have to be single or separated. No cheaters or polyamorists need apply. Try it for free or pay to earn additional features and power-ups. It’s easy to sign up and navigate, so you don’t have to be a tech expert. Matches are based on mutual interests.

Silver Singles: Sometimes it takes a few decades to find the right person. Sometimes we need to look for a new right person after having burned through one or more already. And sometimes, mortality makes us single. This age 50 and above only web and app iOS or Android-based matchmaker gains 381,000 new romantic and post-menopausal possibilities each month. Consumer Ranking says that its navigation is simple to use and it has good customer service.

Lookin’ for Love

eHarmony: Millions of registered users aged 25 and above look for serious friends and lovers on what the website says is the number one most trusted dating iOS and Android app. “Passionate about creating real love for all,” the service specializes in facilitating long-term relationships and uses an in-depth compatibility quiz to help its members create profiles to find their one true love. Both free basic memberships and free trials are easy to sign up for, according to Consumer Ranking. Special for-pay features are designed to boost the chance of meeting Mr. or Ms. Right for the Long Run. With a 50/50 male-to-female ratio, the gender balance is unique. Alas, until you prove your devotion with some money, sending messages is an unrealized fantasy.

Elite Singles: Got a college education and some money? Find love or something close enough here if you’re an “educated and successful, single professional aged 30 – 55” and looking for someone who can say the same. The site also assures potential members that “educated singles of all ages can feel free to focus on finding love,” so who knows what the target demographic is? That aside, more than 381,000 people join each month and the site is serious about helping facilitate lasting romantic connections. There is relationship advice, suggested matches, expert-reviewed personality tests, 25-minute tailored matches, a website, an iOS, and an Android app. They ditch non-active users and care about safety protocols and fraud detection. The downside is that free accounts are limited, but if you’re rich and educated, that’s not a problem, right?

Match: Something that this site and iOS or Android app do that none of the others do is create opportunities to meet both online and in real-life socials. Easy to use and individualize with your hobbies, interests, boundaries, and relationship requirements, the platform has a large membership base from which it can make personalized recommendations for its aged 25 and above mystery dates. A free plan is available and allows users to chat with any matches. There is also a standard option, but Premium members get to know who opened their email messages.