General News

Christian Mingle has partnered with a Dallas, Texas ministry called H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. This ministry helps restore low-income urban communities through economic means, education, health and spiritual development. With this new collaboration Christian Mingle's first project will be to help plant gardens in underprivileged communities located in south Dallas. These gardens will offer healthy food options to people who need it.

Christian Mingle and H.I.S. BridgeBuilders also plan to host charitable events to raise money for this and other projects. For more on this story you can read the press release and to find out how Christian Mingle works as a dating site you can read our review.

Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Blah, blah, blah...

You've heard plenty about the differences between the sexes. What you may not have heard is any kind of proof to back it up. Are men and women actually that different? Or are we surprisingly similar?

Christian Mingle and JDate came to together to create the State Of Dating In America report, a comprehensive look at the dating habits and attitudes of American singles. Through their survey, they found that men and women tend to hold similar ideas about online dating. Both agree that online dating is a great way to meet people, and that dating online is now socially acceptable.

Women, however, are more likely to know someone who met their partner online, while men are more likely to believe that online dating is safer than meeting in a bar. Men are also more likely to think it's easier to ask someone out online than in-person.

The survey also found that the division between relationship roles based on gender continues to erode. More than half of all singles are not concerned with who makes more money. 2/3 of singles ages 45-59 say it doesn't matter if the man is the breadwinner in the relationship. When it comes to dating, though, men and women seem to be more traditional:

• 2/3 of singles feel the man should pay for the first date.
• Men are more likely than women to feel this way (although 55% of women agree).
• Women are more likely to believe a date should be split.
• 40% of singles also believe the man should pay for the second date. Again, men are more likely to hold this belief.

Men's and women's dating strategies tend to diverge when it comes to considering multiple potential partners. Neither gender is likely to date multiple people at the same time, but women are more likely to contact multiple possible dates. Men, on the other hand, prefer to contact only one person at a time.

The survey also offered this good news to singles with first date anxiety: men and women tend to agree about their preferred first dates. Dinner is the preferred first date for singles regardless of gender, with coffee coming in at a close second. Other popular options include:

• Hanging out with a group of friends
• A movie
• Bar/drinks
• Dancing/a club
• Hiking, biking, or another outdoor activity

What other interesting tidbits does the State Of Dating In America report have in store? Stay tuned for more...

For information on the services which created this study you can check out our JDate review and our Christian Mingle review.

Plenty of Fish (POF) released last week a new version of their dating app on BlackBerry World that supports the Blackberry 10 smartphone. This app supports the BB10 operating system which means you can also use it on the Playbook.

If you install this app on your phone you can expect to send and receive messages, flirt with singles nearby, upload images, edit your POF profile, find out who has viewed your profile, and search for matches. From what I can tell this version is very similar to the iPhone version.

Some of the complaints posted about the new app is that it is still not a native application and notification for messages is not available. The app currently has a 3 out of 5 star rating.

For more information on this popular dating service which offers most features free you can read our Plenty of Fish review.

If you're thin and your partner isn't, you might also encounter more problems.

A new study found that couples with mixed weights experienced more conflict than couples who were about the same weight. Mixed weight couples were identified as one partner having a healthy weight while the other partner was overweight.

Mixed weight couples expressed more anger and resentment towards their partners than same-weight couples. These feelings intensified when they ate together.

However, researchers found that these couples had less conflict when the overweight partner felt supported by the other partner in their efforts to diet and exercise.

This study reveals that communication can be an underlying issue in relationships. Most of our frustrations and resentments with our partners stem from something other than what the actual argument is about - in the case of the study - weight. When people aren't communicating well with each other, there's a lot of potential for conflict, anger, and misunderstanding to develop. Over time, this can break down a relationship.

It's important to be upfront with your partner about your feelings. But it's also important to understand you can't change someone else. Weight has become an obsession in our culture, and many people have developed unhealthy habits and unhealthy body images associated with their weight. If your partner feels bad about himself, then it's not going to be helpful if you are goading him about his weight or telling him he has to lose it to please you. Ultimately, it is about perspective and health. If you fear your partner is going to become sick because of his weight, then instead of increasing frustration levels when you talk about it together, have a doctor or health professional intervene and give you both the facts. But if it's about your preference for a certain look, then it's important to be a little more self-reflective and accept your partner for all the qualities you do love about him, outside of his weight.

Acceptance is part of relationships. If you find yourself getting increasingly frustrated with your partner, it's important to ask how you can support him. As the study showed, those who felt supported felt less conflict and anger. Offer to exercise or diet with him. Praise him for all of his accomplishments, like skipping dessert after dinner each night. There are plenty of ways to show your support.

The study was conducted by researchers at The University of Arizona and The University of Puget Sound.

I found out the other day that eHarmony is offering a new feature called “eHarmony Access”. It is just in the test phase at the moment so it is not available to all members yet. When you are canceling your eHarmony membership you now will have the option to choose to become an eHarmony Access member. As part of eHarmony Access once your full eHarmony subscription expires you still will be able to receive matches and most importantly view all photos of those matches. Sending Icebreakers will also be available to you as well as the guided communication (at least on eHarmony.com). Being an eHarmony Access member does require a monthly fee but it is much less than the cost of a full membership. This feature is a great way for people who do not have the time to be a full fledge member of a dating site but still wish to see what their matches offer just in case you see one that really sparks some chemistry.

To find out more about this dating site you can read our eHarmony review.

What happens when you bring two of the world's biggest dating sites together, and throw an independent research firm into the mix?

A whole lot of interesting info happens, and the State of Dating In America report is born.

JDate and Christian Mingle teamed up with a handful of experts to survey more than 2,700 singles about dating, relationships, love, and sex. All respondents met the following criteria:

• English speaking
• Male or female
• Located in the United States
• Between the ages of 18 and 60
• Single marital status
• Online or offline dater who is currently not married and dating or planning to date in the near future, OR is in a relationship with a partner for less than two years

The lengthy report sheds light on the complexity of the contemporary dating landscape, and reveals a significant trend toward more open-minded stances on issues surround sex, gender roles, and dating. Singles these days have a more liberal attitude than ever before:

• 87% think online dating is a great way to meet people.
• Both men and women believe it's safer to meet someone online than in a bar.
• 85% say it's acceptable to have sex before marriage.
• 91% of Jewish singles and 84% of Christian singles would live with a partner before marriage.
• 78% of single Christians and 60% of single Jews are open to marrying someone with kids.
• Most singles, regardless of their gender, say it doesn't matter who is the breadwinner in a family.

But oddly, despite those trends towards liberalism, Americans hold on to traditional values when it comes to marriage and family:

• 78% of men and 55% of women believe that a man should pay for the first date.
• 62% of 18- to 24-year-olds would be disappointed if they never married.
• Both men and women say their mothers have the biggest influence over who they marry.
• Nearly ¾ of singles would prefer to settle down with a partner who shares their religious faith.

Faith can also account for differences in attitudes and habits when it comes to dating and relationships. Jews are three times more likely than Christians to use an online dating site, though a larger majority of Christians say online dating is a great way to meet potential mates. Jewish singles rank intelligence as more attractive than humor, while Christian singles feel the opposite way. Jewish singles prefer coffee for a first date, while Christian singles would rather meet for dinner.

What they do agree on is family: singles of both faiths agree that the number one key to a successful relationship is that their partner's family treats them well.

To find out more about the dating sites which brought us this information you can read our JDate review and our Christian Mingle review.