Single

If “find love” is one of your resolutions for 2016, you're in luck. Get your best pickup lines ready, because the busiest time of year for online dating is rapidly approaching.

Match.com has revealed the exact day the most users will log on in 2016, and even narrowed the time down to the minute. Using their site traffic data, Match predicts that Sunday, January 3, at 8:52 pm EST is when the most users in all of 2016 will be logging on to the site.

Why is early January peak season for online dating? January 3 follows two major holidays, Christmas and New Year's, when singletons can feel especially lonely. On top of that, the beginning of the year is prime time for New Year's resolutions, which are often made about love and relationships.

Dr. Helen Fisher, biological anthropologist and Chief Scientific Advisor for Match, says there's a biological reason for this behavior. “I think all three brain systems for love become stimulated around this time of year, including sex drive, feeling of attachment and romantic love,” she told Bustle.

She goes on to say that the novelty of the holidays can trigger the dopamine system, which encourages feelings of romance, while the hugging and nostalgia that accompany the season can trigger feelings of attachment. If you're not in a relationship, it can emphasize your singlehood.

“Moreover,” she continues, “the beginning of the new year is a natural time for rejuvenation and renewal; and has been for thousands of years. So we naturally begin to look around for a true love.”

If you can't log on exactly at 8:52 pm EST on January 3, don't stress. Match says that peak season will span the full month of January and then some. The site rountinely experiences a 60 percent leap in new members signing up between December 25 and February 14, so you could have a new special someone just in time for Valentine's Day.

And it's not just sign ups that get a boost during this time of year. The number of messages exchanged also increases with the influx of new numbers. Match says that a whopping 50 million messages are sent during peak season.

In order to secure that V-Day date, users step up their game across the board. Along with sending more messages, members use the new year to rejuvenate their profiles and add new photos. Fifteen million new images are uploaded to Match between Christmas and Valentine's Day.

Is all that effort worth it? Statistics say yes. Match predicts that 1 million people will go on dates as a result of the elevated activity during peak season. Now is the perfect time to freshen up your profile and double down on your dating efforts in 2016. For more information on this dating service, please read our review of Match.com.

Were you wondering who the most popular members were on Match.com this past year? Or maybe you were wondering the percentage of blonde to brunette daters, or what music most matches were listening to? Whatever your question, Match.com seems to have answers in their 2015 wrap-up.

If you dwell in New York City, you might be surprised to learn that despite the hectic pace and its legendary status for casual relationships and ambitious and independent singles (thanks to tv shows like Girls and Sex and the City), New York City is the number one place where Match.com members want kids! Commitment and family in New York City is possible and a goal for a lot of daters, so lesson learned here: don’t let the stereotypes rule your life.

If on the other hand, you are looking for the jet set life and want to be with a doctor or lawyer, head to Durham, North Carolina or Washington, D.C. respectively.

It also appears that despite the tech-savvy iPhone users among us, Android users are becoming more likely to try online dating. In 2015, 29% more Android users joined Match.com vs. iPhone users.

This past year marked a big year for the LGBT community, with the Supreme Court ruling that marriage between same-sex couples was legal across the country. Plus, notable celebrity and former Olympic Champion Caitlyn Jenner came out to the world, making transgender rights a topic of discussion. In the online dating world, half a million members of the LGBT community joined Match in 2015.

Following are some additional highlights:

• Since we are in for a long year of political maneuvering in 2016, Match.com decided to see the Hilarys vs. the Donalds who signed up for online dating this past year. As it turns out, there are more Donalds who are members of Match. (We’ll see how this plays out in the elections.)
• Game of Thrones was the most-mentioned TV show on Match this year. (No big surprise – though fans of The Walking Dead will be pleased their show came in second.)
• The most-mentioned celebrities included Drake at #1, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and then the Kardashians.
• The most mentioned trendy words of 2015 were “swag” (coming in at #1), “bae” (because who doesn’t want to find their bae?), and “Netflix and chill” (to which I can relate).
• Most trending newsworthy topics discussed on Match include transgender, Donald Trump, and marijuana. 
• The most popular foods mentioned were sushi (coming in at #1), tacos and ramen. Delicious.
• Two times more brunettes joined than blondes.
• Last but not least, Match revealed its two most popular daters – Leonora from New York, NY and Gabriel from Los Angeles.

To find out more about this dating service you can read our review of Match.com. Happy dating!

It’s that time of year – the decorations and lights are up, people are rushing around to catch the sales, and extra glasses of bubbly are being poured in festive cheer. Not to mention all the happy couples, who seem to be everywhere and doing romantic things like ice skating and warming up together by a nice fire.

Instead of running in the other direction or shutting yourself off from social events this holiday season because you don’t have someone to go with, it’s time to pull out that pair of red heels and start meeting new people. And having some fun.

The holidays are the best time to socialize, especially if you’re single. Between happy hours, office holiday parties, and friends inviting you to their holiday festivities, there’s much more of a chance to meet someone new. (Bonus: you don’t have to use Tinder, either.)

Following are 5 tips for a fun holiday season – and to meeting more people:

Accept all invitations. Even to that boring networking mixer or Aunt Sally’s potluck dinner. During the holiday season, more people attend social events than at other times of the year, so those invitations you try to avoid might actually be more fun than you think. You never know who might show up.

Invite your friends (if you can). Maybe your best pal is not romantically your type, but you have fun hanging out together. This is a good time of year to make plans and bring him to parties with you. This expands both of your social circles, and therefore both of your options of meeting more people.

If not, be brave and go solo. It might seem intimidating to go to a party alone, especially if you think it will be filled with couples. Instead of avoiding dinner parties and other couple-ly events, dress up and put yourself out there. You never know who your friends might have invited, or who they could set you up with in the future. There’s nothing more attractive than a woman or man confidently walking up to strangers to strike up conversation.

Do something you enjoy, just because. Do you like to make hot chocolate with a shot of whiskey for your friends? Do you like decorating a Christmas tree, volunteering your time to a local food bank, or binge watching your favorite TV series while you bake cookies? Do it. There’s no time like the present. It will also put you in a good frame of mind for all the holiday stress ahead.

Spend time with the people you love – and like. The holidays are about being thankful for the people in your life who bring you happiness, joy, or even a good shoulder to cry on. These are the people to hang with this holiday season. It’s really about having fun and sharing experiences with the people you love, romantic or not. It puts you in a great frame of mind for when you do happen to be out and meet someone who catches your attention.

Do you feel like your career is taking off, and yet your love life is still lacking? Many men and women find their jobs much easier to navigate than their love lives. After all, if you have a plan, work hard, and accomplish your goals, chances are you will be promoted in your job, or at least have opportunities in your career to move up the ladder.

Dating is a little more elusive. You can strive to find a partner, but it won’t necessarily happen in your ideal timeframe, or under the perfect circumstances, or even after a lot of time spent dating or “on the job” as it were. In other words, dating is often left to chance.

What you might not realize is that you have more control than you think, and there are skills that you’ve gained in your career that could serve your dating life as well. You just have to know what tools you have in your arsenal.

Following are 5 career skills that you can use to improve your dating life:

Set a goal. When you are looking to get ahead in your career, you set some goals to get to the desired place you want. When you work towards something, you feel more productive and optimistic about the future, whether it is career, a fitness goal, a hobby, or even dating.

Get organized. Who can proceed without a plan? The sooner you get organized, the better. Research your options for online dating, such as which dating apps to try. Put time aside in your busy work schedule to actually date and have fun. Enlist a friend to help set up your profile, take pictures, or keep you on track by checking in to see how your dates are going.

Put yourself out there. You can’t move forward in your dating life if you’re fearful. Dating requires a certain amount of courage, and a certain amount of playfulness – remember, not everyone is going to be right for you, so don’t take rejection so seriously. It will happen, and you move on. Instead, focus on trying to have fun, not trying to meet or be the perfect date.

Let go of old ideas and attitudes. Are you too old-fashioned to ask a guy out? It’s time to get over those old dating stereotypes. You are confident in the office when you ask for what you want, or when you manage a project – so why not be a boss in your dating life? Make eye contact with the hot guy at the bar (and hold it!), or try making the first move. Message your matches first. Don’t want for him to ask you out – do it yourself.

Be clear about what you want. In our jobs, we are aware of our goals, and we work towards them. Likely your boss knows your next steps, or at least has an idea of what you want to eventually be doing. This applies to your dates. If you start dating with an attitude of “let’s see where this goes,” you’ll end up stuck in a dead-end relationship, much like a dead-end job when you don’t know what you want. Get focused and stick to your goals. Envision a future that you want. It will pay off in the end.

Forget Black Friday. Forget Cyber Monday. China’s Singles' Day is now the world’s biggest online shopping bonanza.

The holiday, an anti-Valentine's Day for single people, traces its origins back to Nanjing University in 1993. Students began celebrating the single life annually on November 11, a date chosen because of the connection between singlehood and the number 1. Upon graduation many continued the tradition and the celebration of Singles' Day is now widespread amongst young Chinese people.

To mark the occasion, Chinese singles party with other single friends. The festivities can include a special breakfast, karaoke and blind date parties hosted in attempt to end singlehood as soon as possible. Singles' Day has also become the largest online shopping day in the world, with sales in e-commerce giant Alibaba's sites Tmall and Taobao clocking in at US$9.3 billion in 2014.

Yes, $9.3 billion. That’s more than the total U.S. online sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined in 2014. And no one got run over in a tragic store stampede.

Singles' Day shopping originated with Alibaba, but today merchants throughout China participate. Shoppers can score major deals on clothing, cosmetics, electronics and even food. Looking at the numbers will make your head spin:

• Alibaba's Singles' Day 2015 selection will include 6 million products from more than 40,000 merchants, and over 30,000 brands from 25 countries
• China’s post office estimates that nearly 800 million packages will be shipped as a result of the hoilday
• A Nielsen survey found that 56 percent of more than 1,000 internet users in China said they would increase spending compared with 2014
• Consumers are expected to spend an average of $277 per person, up 22 percent year on year
• Alibaba estimates that 1.7 million deliverymen, 400,000 delivery vehicles, 5,000 warehouses and 200 airplanes will be necessary to handle the deliveries

If predictions are accurate, 2015 could be the biggest year yet for retailers on Singles' Day. Alibaba sales could hit $10 billion in a 24-hour period.

"It's not a huge surprise that consumers are planning to spend more during this year's 'Double 11,'” Yan Xuan, President of Nielsen Greater China, told CNBC. “Income levels and internet penetration continue to rise throughout China, so this is a natural progression.”

Singles' Day is also expanding worldwide. Five thousand overseas brands from 25 countries – including the U.S, Europe, Japan and South Korea – will be available this year. This year's international participants include Costco, LG Electronics, Walt Disney Co., Fisher-Price and Lego. In recent years, Apple, Calvin Klein, Macy's and Burberry have participated.

Perhaps Singles' Day itself will soon be a global phenomenon.

You love chocolate, but even chocolate would be boring if you ate it every day.

You started online dating with a mix of nervousness and excitement. At first it took up all of your free time. Every spare second was spent swiping or sending winks. Nothing compared to the rush of meeting someone for the first time and even if the date was a disaster, you could write it off as a funny story from your online dating days.

But eventually, even the most serious swipers get tired of Tinder. OkCupid's questions don't seem so fun anymore. eHarmony feels anything but harmonious. Online dating burnout is a real phenomenon, and when you find yourself with a diagnosed case, it's time to switch up your routine.

There's just one problem: do you even remember how to meet people anymore? Once you get used to signing in with a username, it's hard to imagine how singles met in quainter, less tech-savvy times.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, to a scary new dating site called The Real World. Here's how to meet people face to face when you've put your digital dating service on time out:

• Reach out to your social network. There was a time when “social network” meant the friends you actually know in real life, not the ones you pretend to know on Instagram. Be open with your friends and family about your interest in meeting new people. As the people who know you best, they may be able to make introductions you're actually interested in.
• Say yes to social invitations. It's easy to say no. Pajamas are comfortable, ice cream is delicious, and Netflix is addictive. But if you really want to meet new people, you have to put yourself where people are. Attend weddings, reunions, birthday parties and any other social gatherings you're invited to.
• Check out local events. Visit museumes, wander through art galleries, see live music – explore the local culture. Not only does it get you out and about where you might meet a potential date, it also gives you a greater appreciation for the city you call home. You may even find the perfect location for your next date.
• Join a club, group, or professional organization. This is the easiest way to meet somone who shares your interests or goals. And since we all know that's key to a successful relationship, you already have a jumpstart on getting it right. Taking classes is another great way to meet someone with shared interests while building your skill set.

Whatever you do, remember this important rule: put down the device. You won't meet anyone if your face is glued to a screen.