Before I joined any dating apps, I felt like everyone was dating online. It was like I was the last woman standing and it seemed like it was making other ways to to meet someone obsolete. And though it is the go-to destination for looking (or swiping, as the case may be) for romance for many millennials, a recent survey shows us that it's really not the only way singles are meeting each other — even for online daters.
Match's Singles In America survey, which surveyed over 5,500 members, found that not everyone who dates online is meeting online — and this is from a online dating website polling their users. Only 33 percent of singles met their last date online, which is obviously a huge chunk, but it's certainly not the only way people are meeting.
I've met people through friends of friends, and I've been randomly asked out on date in restaurants or out and about occasionally, but I've still always thought it was pretty much all happening online. The survey went into all of the different aspects of how we meet people, what we want, and what we do. Here are some of the other things to know:
1. It's Still Happening The Old-Fashioned Way
If a third of people let their last date online, 26 percent of people met their last date through a friend. Which is about 1 in 4, and definitely not far off from the online dating statistic. So there are still a lot of amateur matchmakers out there (which makes me think my friends really should step up their game).
2. Online Daters Are In It For The Long Haul
Singles who date online were 93 percent more likely to want to get married, which makes sense. If you're serious about being in a long-term relationship, you're probably going to actively seek it, and online is an easy way to do that.
3. Online Daters Are More Likely To Have A Second Date
Your friends may seem to know you better than you know yourself, but that doesn't translate to them being able to pick out Mr. or Mrs. Right. In fact, online daters were 78 percent more likely to get a second date than other means of meeting people, like through friends.
4. Food And Drinks Are More Important Than How You Meet
Don't get too tied up in how you meet people though, focus on what you do on your first date. Because either way you're 107 percent less likely to get a second date if you skip dinner or drinks. How to be more likely to get a second date? Sushi, cocktails, and expensive restaurants all up your chances.
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