As smartphones and tablets have exploded in popularity and made online connection an unavoidable aspect of daily life, online dating has become a popular way for Pennsylvania couples to meet. There are a large number of websites and specialized apps to help people make a love connection online, from Tinder to OKCupid to Match.
Online dating may have a reputation for promoting a shopping mentality toward relationships. However, academic research has shown that relationships formed by online dating can lead to happier marriages with lower divorce rates and partnerships with a higher rate of satisfaction than those formed through traditional social networks of family, friends, co-workers or classmates.
Marriages that were first formed through online dating are less likely to result in divorce. In addition, participants report higher levels of marital satisfaction. There are multiple factors that could contribute to these outcomes, including marriage-minded people explicitly searching for and finding each other on relevant online dating sites. In addition, the wide and diverse array of people that participate in online dating means that each person has the opportunity to find a person that may be more compatible than those in their immediate social network or geographic area.
Higher levels of diversity are also apparent in online dating matches. People who participate in online dating more frequently develop interracial relationships or partnerships that cover a geographic distance. The possibilities afforded by online dating are so vast and popular that as of 2017, one-third of marriages develop from matches made through online dating. It is the most popular means for same-sex couples to meet and the second most popular for heterosexual couples.
Of course, any couple can face irreconcilable differences and serious issues, no matter how they first came together. These issues can lead to the end of a marriage. In a divorce, a family lawyer can help to protect a spouse’s rights and interests and advocate for equitable and fair asset distribution, child custody and child or spousal support orders.