General News

How do American singles view dating and marriage today? Have our values changed much over the years? And do they vary by age and gender?

The State Of Dating In America report is here to answer all of your questions on dating in America in 2013. Up first: What is the greatest societal threat to marriage today?

Nearly half of singles agree that infidelity is the single biggest threat to marriage today. Other pressing threats are:

• Financial problems (18%)
• Lack of family values (13%)
• Acceptance of divorce / Same sex marriage (8%)
• Other (5%)

Some love being single. Some are terrified of it. Which side do you fall on? And would you ever consider going back to an ex to not be single?

• Most people - 53% - say no.
• Women are less likely than men to avoid singlehood by getting back together with an ex.

Faith is an important part of the equation when choosing a long-term partner. How important is it for you to share the same religious background as the person you date/marry, even if their faith is not as strong or is stronger?

• Some singles say they're "Just looking for someone I like," but most take faith into consideration when evaluating a potential date.
• 16% say they would only date someone of the same faith. 19% say they would only marry a partner who shares their faith.
• In general, men are less concerned about dating or marrying someone of the same faith.

When online dating, your options are nearly endless. Dating multiple people is the quickest way to experience as many different dates as possible in order to find the one you really want. Do you believe it is acceptable to date more than one person at a time?

• Almost 2/3 of singles believe it is at least somewhat acceptable to see more than one person at a time, although their comfort levels vary.
• Non-online daters are more likely to feel that nonmonogamy is unacceptable at any time.
• Younger singles are also significantly less likely to believe it is ethical to date multiple people simultaneously.
• Singles over the age of 45 are most likely to feel that nonmonogamy is acceptable.

With all the factors that go into choosing a mate, and the incredible pressures that come along with marriage, it would certainly be simpler to stay single. But would you be disappointed if you remained single the rest of your life? The majority of 18- to 24-year-olds (62%) say they would be disappointed if they remained single for their entire lives. As singles get older, however, they tend to care less about remaining single.

I notice a fact sheet online at Match.com which released some data about their United States members for 2012. Let’s ask a few questions of the fact sheet and see the answers.

Question 1: How old are the members on Match.com?

Answer: We will break this demographic down into 3 age ranges. 25 percent of Match.com members are between 18 and 30, 48.5% are from 30 to 49 years old and 26.5 percent are 50 or older. The 50 and older age group is the fastest growing age group on Match.com.

Question 2: Do Match.com members have any children?

Answer: 45.3 percent of Match.com members have kids but only 23.6 percent have children who live at least sometimes in their home. 46 percent of Match.com members do not have any children. 8.8 percent of members choose not to answer this question on their profile.

Question 3: How many Match.com members smoke?

Answer: 23.6 percent are smokers and 67.% are not. 9.9 percent did not answer this question.

Question 4: How many Match.com members are college educated?

Answer: 74 percent of Match members have a college degree or some college schooling.

These statistics are from data gathered in 2012 by Match.com. For more information on this popular dating site you can read our Match review.

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.