Since the 90’s, the world of dating has dramatically changed forever. The invention and ease of internet access has changed the way we find love, as well as how we form and maintain relationships. As we welcome in the New Year, here are the four biggest dating trends from the past decade…

Social Media

The rise of social media has had a big impact on how we date. With just a few clicks we can learn everything about a person we’ve never met. We can see where they live, what they like to do, even what they had for breakfast just by visiting their pages on social media. Dating has lost some of it’s mystery it’s true, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We’re now able to judge our compatibility with a person without even having to meet or talk to them, making dating more efficient, (as long as they’re not a catfish!)

Mature Dating

Because of the internet reaching out to an older market, people are finding love later on in life. People who are widowed or divorced can also find dating sites specifically for them to meet like-minded singles. In fact, there has been a rise in tailor made dating sites, making it easier for people from all different backgrounds with a whole range of different interests to find each other.

Messaging

A decade ago, text messaging did exist, but it wasn’t anywhere near as popular as it is today. Gone are the days where you had to wait by your landline for your date to call. Now, dating is on the move. People can communicate 24/7 from anywhere they are and they tend to prefer messaging instead of calling. This means communication has become a major part of dating. Not texting back, using emojis and sending each other photos has become the norm.

Ghosts Exist

Being able to communicate 24/7 comes with a price. It may be easier than ever to contact people, but it’s also only takes a click of a ‘Block’ button to fully erase people from your life. If you’re on the other end of blocking, the consequences can be devastating. We’ve almost entered into an era of disposable dating, where anyone can be blocked by anyone at any time for no reason. Recent figures show that 35 percent of all online daters have been effected by ghosting at some point, meaning the bad trend is certainly on the rise.

What a dramatic ten years it’s been for dating trends! Who knows what will happen to the world of dating in the future, but if you’re looking for love, you’re already in the right place! Happy New Year!