Dating

You’ve got something that those young whippersnappers don’t: a lifetime of experience and common sense. But how can you play this to your advantage when it comes to getting back into the dating scene?

Dating has changed since we first ventured out there. While the ideas of courtship aren’t completely dead, the lines of propriety have been blurred. You should never have to worry about your personal safety when it comes to dating, however. By using that lifetime of common sense you’ve accumulated along with a few tips, you’ll be in the mix of things and enjoying the process of getting to know new people. Now, that’s better than worrying, isn’t it? Here’s a list to get you started with safe dating (and while these tips aren’t just for seniors, we won’t tell anyone!) :

Do want to know how to make your transition back into dating easier? Try the following steps:

• Boost Self-Esteem - It is a lot easier to attract someone if you also find yourself attractive inside and out.
• Be Proactive - Create your own opportunities. Join some online dating sites, single groups or take that offer from your friend that has the "perfect date" for you.
• Find Fun Friends - Ask family and friends if they have anyone they could put you in touch with who is single.
• Take it Slowly - Be aware of your vulnerabilities. Go on double dates to help build confidence.
• Not Dating, Socializing - Relax and try not to make dating a stressful situation for you.
• Be Honest - Try to be honest with yourself, friends and family about the person you are dating. Don't build the person up in your mind.
• Be Considerate - When you start to date make sure you (and your family) are over your previous relationship.

For the full story and more points on getting back into dating, read the Herald Sun.

I am old enough to remember how picking up at bars use to be like, before everyone had a cell phone. An article in The Examiner reminded me of how the simple thing as asking a girl for her phone number at the local bar has changed. All of this is due to the cell phone. Now days everyone has a cell phone and for the most part, to contact someone in their twenties or thirties you either email them, send a text message or call their cell phone. Back in the early 90's (I just dated myself 😀), if you were lucky to get a woman's phone number by the end of the night at a club or bar, you really had no idea if it was fake or not. Now days, all you have to do is pull out your cell phone and text her or give her a call. This means a woman will rarely give out a fake number anymore. If she does she risks embarrassing herself when the guy calls or texts her 5 minutes later.

For some dating sites that are accessible through mobile phones, check out our Dating Sites for Cell Phones category.

There is an interesting article in the New York Times about evolutions role in finding a partner. Most people believe when it comes to dating, women usually are pickier than men.

The usual explanation is evolutionary: because women have a bigger investment in reproduction — they are the ones who have to endure pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding — they need to hedge their bets against selecting a dud to be the father.

With the rise of Speed Dating, Psychologists now have easier access to information in a semi controlled environment to test this theory of women being more selective about their mate. Eli Finkel and Paul Eastwick of Northwestern University have recently published a experiment they did which challenges the current thinking. They found that it didn't matter what sex the person was. A person who initiates contact, in regards to going out on a date, tends to be less selective about who he or she asks when compared to the person who is being asked.

Some surprising finds in the UK for men and women who start dating in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. As divorce rates rise, singles older than 60 is a growing trend. A lot of baby boomers have found that once their children have left home, they were the only thing holding their broken marriage together. When you combine this with our longer life spans when compared to previous generations, there are a lot more seniors who are single, than there use to be.

Match.com has said on numerous occasions that the older generation is their fastest growing market. Also, according to eHarmony's UK dating site, 30 percent of men over the age of 65 live alone and the figure doubles to 60 percent for woman. Why is there such a huge percentage difference between men and woman? I think it comes down to two factors. First women on average live 5 to 10 years longer than men and with the about equal gender split in the world you are going to have many more women single due to them being widowed. The second factor is, men tend to go out with younger women. Therefore a man who is 65 and living with someone (and included in eHarmony's statistic), is more likely than not, living with a woman under the age of 65 (and not included in the statistic).

For the rest of the story, read The Guardian. If you are a senior and interested in online dating, read our Match.com or eHarmony review. You could also check out our Dating Over 50 category for a list of dating sites specifically for older singles.

From a survey which looked at dating and married couples relationships, researchers learned that the primary predictor of happiness in a relationship is your perception of, if your partner motivates and supports you to live up to your dreams and aspirations. With married couples there was one additional need found that is required to make a marriage a successful one. You must feel that your partner is helping you with your current obligations and responsibilities.

The significant finding, the researchers say, is that we often believe that if our dating partner gives us support to follow our dreams, they’ll probably support other parts of our life, namely our immediate responsibilities. But the ability to inspire a partner is not an accurate predictor of support for the more mundane and immediate obligations. And this can sometimes lead to a rude awakening when the church bells ring.

77 married couples and 92 dating couples participated in this survey which is to be published this summer in the journal, Psychological Science.

For the full story, read Scientific American.