Midlife crisis? People over 50 having such wild time with online dating, it will put Gen Z to shame

Dating can be really hard and if you’re in your 50s, dating in the digital era can be even harder. However, Americans over the age of 50 are not only online, they are having a frantically more frolic time than Gen Z.

Several studies have shown that Gen Z are dating less, but sleeping around more. Having said that a new study by Pew Research has revealed that Americans in their 50s would even put Gen Z’ers to shame when it came to online dating.

Here are some interesting facts from the study

17 per cent of people over the age of 50 have tried online dating
The proportion of Americans aged 50 and above who have used a dating site or app is 17 per cent, which is similar to the previous survey conducted in 2019. Among individuals in their 50s, 23 per cent have tried online dating platforms, while the figures are 14 per cent for those in their 60s and 12 per cent for individuals aged 70 and above.

However, only 3 per cent of adults aged 50 and above currently use or have used online dating platforms within the past year, in contrast to 15 per cent of those under 50. Regarding partnered adults aged 50 and above (married, living with a partner, or in a committed relationship), 6 per cent report meeting their significant other through online dating.

Men over the age of 65 get more unsolicited nudes than women
A significant proportion of online daters aged 50 and above (45 per cent) report encountering at least one of four undesirable behaviours while using dating platforms. This includes 33 per cent of older users who received unsolicited nude images and videos, 26 per cent who dealt with stalkers, 17 per cent who were subjected to offensive name-calling, and 4 per cent who faced physical harm threats.

Younger users are more likely to experience these behaviours compared to users aged 65 and above. Half of users under 65 report experiencing at least one form of harassment on online dating platforms, while only one-third of users aged 65 and older report the same.

Gender differences are also evident in these findings. Among online daters, women are more likely than men to have encountered at least one of the mentioned unwanted experiences. This holds true for women aged 18 to 49 and 50 to 64 in comparison to men in the corresponding age groups. However, there are no gender differences among online daters aged 65 and above.

In fact, men over 65 were more likely to receive unsolicited nudes than women over 65. However, as we go down the age brackets, women received exponentially more unsolicited nudes and dick pics compared to women.

Tinder is not where they are headed
The choice of dating sites and apps varies significantly based on age. Among online daters aged 50 and above, a much lower proportion uses Tinder compared to those under 50 (11 per cent vs. 59 per cent). On the other hand, older users are more likely to have utilized Match (50 per cent vs. 24 per cent).

However, age disparities still exist within the 50 and older age group. Around 19 per cent of online daters aged 50 to 59 have used Tinder, whereas the figures are 6 per cent for those aged 60 to 69 and merely 1 per cent for individuals aged 70 and above.

Online daters in their 50s are also more inclined to report using OkCupid and Bumble compared to their older counterparts. They are roughly as likely as those in their 60s and more likely than those aged 70 and above to have used Match.

From casual flings to long-term partners, people over 50 have diverse needs
Older adults have different motivations for engaging in online dating within the past year. Approximately 50 per cent of adults aged 50 and above who have used online dating platforms in the past year consider meeting a long-term partner or spouse as a significant reason. Additionally, 36 per cent of older adults using these platforms mention casual dating as a major motivation.

A similar percentage of older online daters (30 per cent) express the desire to make friends, while 22 per cent mention seeking casual sexual encounters as a significant reason.

Interestingly, younger users are just as likely as older adults to cite these same reasons for using online dating platforms in the past year.

Older men are not afraid to shell out more for better services
Among online daters, older men are more likely to have paid for the use of a dating site or app. While the majority of online daters state that they have not paid for such services, this trend varies based on gender and age.

Older men who have used online dating platforms are particularly notable for having paid to access these sites. Among users, men aged 50 to 64 are 13 percentage points more likely than women of the same age group to have paid for online dating. Furthermore, men aged 65 and older are 22 points more likely than women of the same age group to have paid for these services.

Women usually tend to have negative experiences, across ages
Older women are most likely to describe their experiences as negative. Overall, among Americans who have used dating sites or apps, opinions are divided. Roughly 53 per cent perceive their experiences as somewhat or very positive, while a slightly smaller proportion (46 per cent) view them as somewhat or very negative.

Regarding age and gender differences, women aged 50 and above who have used online dating platforms are more inclined than their male counterparts in the same age group to report negative experiences (57 per cent vs. 38 per cent).

Conversely, women aged 18 to 49 who have used online dating platforms are approximately equally likely as men in the same age range to describe their experiences as negative (48 per cent vs. 43 per cent).