Online Dating: Is it Really a Way to Find Real Love?

There's little doubt that online dating has become the new norm, and with growing interest in joining a free singles group, it feels like the future world of romance will be mainly digital!

However, with millions of people still searching for their happy ending on BBW dating Canada sites, how realistic is it to try and find true love through a screen?

Dive into the statistics with the Best10Dating team to see whether love online exists - or is just a fairy tale.

Choosing the Right Dating Site For the Real Deal

Let's begin by talking about dating site categories and how to select the best free singles group, single parent dating app or BBW dating site Canada site if you're into the long-term, butterflies in your stomach kind of romance.

The answer is that no two dating sites are created equal. Each has a demographic, a niche, or a target audience, and if you're not in the right place, it might not be a good use of your time.

Our reviewers typically find that the best online dating sites for real companionship are:

• Sites with a premium service - yes, that means there's a charge. However, bespoke matches and personal recommendations are a million times more likely to hit the nail on the head than a free swipe-dating app.
• Based on a specific demographic - if you're straight or LGBTQ+, senior or a professional, a parent or a divorcee, there's a site designed for you. These niche-dating apps are an awesome option to do away with the awkward conversations and meet someone at the same stage of their life journey as you.
• Local, or with localized filters - yep, long-distance relationships can work, but they're also rare and take a lot of commitment. Dating sites with the option to customize your matches by location or only view potential dates nearby are so much easier to manage since each connection is within a viable distance to meet up.
  

If you've spent months online dating without any sign of success, it might just be time to work out whether your subscription is worthwhile or whether a better-suited dating site will transform your online dating experience.

Recommended Read: Online Dating Scams & How To Avoid Them

How Likely is it That I'll Find Love Through Online Dating?

We promised stats, and we're never a team to fail to deliver! 

There are tonnes of figures out there, but they're by and large pretty promising if you're reliant on online dating to find your perfect match.

• Around 22% (almost a quarter!) of married couples meet online, equivalent to about one in five partnerships.
• In the US, that figure jumps, with about 39% of straight couples finding their person through a digital dating app.
• Nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ+ relationships start online, with about 65% of same-sex couples first introduced through an app or site.
  

The trajectory grows every year, so with an awareness of online dating services growing, along with the impacts of the pandemic, it seems inevitable that more and more people will turn to their mobile or laptop to find a meaningful relationship.

More people now meet online than through mutual friends or work, so there is a distinct shift in the normality of using a dating app, which is certainly more common than just a few years ago!

Recommended Read: App'd Out Dating - How to Find Authentic Relationships Online

The Growth of Online Dating Sites

So, why is online dating so popular - as it's been increasing since well before the pandemic that drove so many more singles online?

There isn't a simple answer, but part of the reason is that there are fewer risks if you're using a quality online dating app compared to a blind date with a stranger in a bar.

Online date sites offer photos, profile information and ID verification, so you get the security of knowing a bit about a person before you commit to meeting them in real life.

Physical appearance is just one part of the jigsaw. Still, it's a lot easier to avoid those awkward never-gonna-happen first dates set up by your well-intentioned family member if you have some idea about whether you're attracted to a potential date!

Another big element is social anxiety and how nerve-wracking it can be to approach a perfect stranger and strike up a rapport.

Digital communications are now everywhere (we bet you've got at least three messaging apps on your mobile!), so we're all a lot more comfortable chatting online, texting, and having a degree of separation before we decide whether to take the leap.

White online dating scams do exist - and are something the Best10Dating reviews team are quick to spot - a premium online dating site can bridge the gap between knowing that you want to meet someone special and making that aspiration a reality.

See also: Single parent dating sites reviewed