/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/EDNMWLP6FZFFNKSNE76TI5K7RQ.jpg)
Posted on 10/20/2022 2:54:23 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The "In The Loop" series Love Life digs into how Americans are dealing with the changing landscape of modern dating. Nearly half of U.S. adults, and a majority of women, say that dating has become harder in the last 10 years or so in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.
Anna Brown, a researcher who has written extensively about American experiences with dating and related issues for the Pew Research Center, gave Newsy some insight on the statistics.
"Men were more likely to say things like they had trouble approaching people, whereas women were more likely to give reasons, like it was just hard to find someone who was looking for the same type of relationship that they were or it was hard to find someone with kind of common interests," Brown said.
The most cited reasons behind the dating troubles included the challenge of finding someone who is looking for the same type of relationship: Whether it's casual romance or a serious courtship, 53% said this is a major reason. Other reasons included difficulty in approaching people at 46% and trouble finding someone who meets their expectations at 43%.
Those findings were based on data from 2019, and Brown's further research shows things seem to have only gotten worse during the pandemic.
While dating as a whole was regarded as hard by both single men and women, dating has been riskier for women in particular. Most women who identified as single and looking to date — 65% — said they experienced some form of harassment from their dates, such as being touched in a way that made them uncomfortable or rumors being spread about their sexual history.
Awareness surrounding these forms of harassment were heightened thanks to campaigns like the #MeToo movement, but 65% of Americans said that increased focus on sexual harassment and assault has made it harder for men to know how to interact with someone they're on a date with, begging the age-old question: Is chivalry dead?
"Women were far more likely than men to say that it's gotten harder because of risk, so that can be physical risk or emotional risk," Brown said. "Many people said that technology is the reason it's gotten harder. For online dating in particular, people tend to experience more severe forms of harassment."
Over the past decade, dating was already becoming more complicated in an increasingly digital America and the unique challenges that came with the rise of social media and dating apps. But singles have never been put to the test quite like they were during the pandemic.
Many popular dating apps reported a drop in the number of people actively dating, and those who did continue to date took things slower. Dating app data shows many used video calls and text messaging to get to know their match before meeting up.
Factors like a person's willingness to social distance and their COVID-19 vaccination status became a more prominent consideration for many looking for a potential partner, whether it was for the short term or the long run. As the pandemic's public health measures were politicized, it also trickled into dating, which was becoming more political in a post-Trump environment.
"We found that about half of people who have online dated in the last year say that it's been important to them to see someone's political beliefs on their online dating profile, and that is up considerably since 2019," Brown said. "We also found that most of that change was being driven by Democrats, and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say that it's important to them to see that kind of information on someone's profile."
RELATED STORY Reality Shows Are Getting More Real When It Comes To DatingReality Shows Are Getting More Real When It Comes To Dating As pandemic restrictions eased and much of the country received their vaccines, dating began picking up again. Many predicted 2021 would bring a lot of summer romance, with people across the nation trying to make up for lost time.
While that was certainly true for couples, with many ushering in a wedding boom after a year of putting off weddings, that rush of singles people expected to see was closer to a trickle.
After a lonely year of social distancing, many singles who were looking to date reported a desire to do so more purposefully, taking their time to pick partners. This trend was especially true for single Americans under 30, who don't want to risk taking a potentially meaningful connections for granted.
Some of these efforts took on new forms for the singles, with many swearing off dating apps and trying to meet people through friends or organically while out and about.
But others are going even further in their mission to find love, like with the live dating show called "UpDating." It aims to mix comedy with a vulnerable, yet very public search for love. The show is followed by thousands on TikTok, with some videos gaining more than a million likes.
I call it the “Many Fish In the Sea” Syndrome. People will just drop a potential mate, if they don’t tick off all the boxes, thinking that eventually they’ll find someone that does.
Rodney Dangerfield voice “You don’t have to tell me it’s tough, I live it. I even tried the fake note from the doctors office but my wife didn’t buy it”.
I am glad that I was a part of a dating scene when girls had the capacity to blush and feel shame. And, they dressed like girls. I held the door open, pulled the chair out and behaved like a gentleman.
Today is just to confusing.
Dating is much too costly in a Biden economy.
I expect it will get a whole lot harder before it gets easier.
It’s a mixed-up muddled-up shook up world.
Not if u live in the right location and have been wise w $.
:)
I’ve been married 20+ years. If anything happens to the Mrs., I’m done.
More men see hpw rigged all this is and the risks of wome
seriously outweighing the rewards, and opting out of it altogether, or keepigng things very light.
And there it is...Huge potential liability for the men, much of which is likly revenge for whatever reasons. Get into an argument and part ways, then end up in court.
Replace people with women. Men don’t have laundry lists of must haves. Women have outrageous laundry lists of must and must not haves. And their lists get longer as they get older.
"Why would I let people in government who don't believe my religion have any say in the marriage between my spouse and I?"
Government needs to be completely removed from marriage. "Family" courts are an aberration that need to be dissolved.
It’s easier to date when you’re 25 than 10 years later when you’re 35.
Instead of “What’s your sign?” it’s “What are your pronouns?”
“It’s a mixed-up muddled-up shook up world.”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I see what you did there. Well played. Thank you.
I really don’t know what kids are like these days.
Anybody my daughter wanted to date she brought by for the wife and I to meet.
We lived in a smaller town so word always got around and kids knew it.
I was older, married with a kid when I earned my degree so I got to see the younger students and how they went about what we all did as kids.
The entire problem is Dad.
We dad’s just have to tell it like it is and make it happen.
If we fail our children, they will learn failure.
For the sake of your kids, take out these soy boys and feminists, put them back in their closet.
The bump in self-reported levels of BLTQXYZ sexual dysfunctions is probably an indicator, especially for the women.
On my optimistic days, I think the pendulum may begin to swing back. A significant number of young people (of both sexes) seem to be pulling back from a toxic dating culture.
Among the women particularly, I suspect that the bump in reported bi- and lesbian orientation reflects a good many young women who are sick of the predators and the expectation that they will participate in the hookup culture.
Lo and behold, not all young women want to be sluts, and if that’s the expectation they are encountering from many of the young men they meet in today’s meat markets, at least some of them will opt out, at least for a time.
I don’t think it works the same way for men. There are enough drunken sluts out there that the young creeps can get laid. Women have always been the gatekeepers. And at least some of them are rediscovering ancient truths.
I am old school, or maybe just old, but I’ve always said to stay off the computer when looking for a date. Do something to actually MEET people. The vibes you get or don’t get from talking in person is invaluable. Okay, now back to the 21st century.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.