Men and women aged 50 and above are using dating apps to find love: Study

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In the era of online dating and the advancement of technology, love knows no boundaries. Romance has found new avenues that do not adhere to any barriers, especially to that of age. An Indian dating app QuackQuack reported witnessing a steady rise in the number of senior users on their app. The app currently caters to over 27 million Indian users, mostly Gen Z and Millennials, but they are delighted to see the Boomers join the community. QuackQuack ran a poll among its senior users to better understand the changing dynamics of love and companionship.

The online survey ran for three days among a total of 6,000 participants from metros and smaller cities. The survey participants ranged between 50 and 68 years; a majority of them retired, and a portion of these dating individuals are business owners. The survey results show the paradigm shift in societal attitudes towards love and romance in the later stages of life.

Breaking stereotypes
38 per cent of seniors from Tier 1 cities on the app explained how society would rather have them join a golf club or a yoga class, but dating is pretty much taboo for a retired individual. A man or a woman above 50 looking for romantic endeavours still instigates a lot of talks, but these seniors revealed they pay no heed to such gossip because having a healthy love life is much more satisfying than poking your noses into other's business. They also mentioned how they find dating apps a more private way of finding love, keeping your love under wraps, especially from nosey neighbours.

Online dating to the rescue
34 per cent of male dating individuals from Tier 2 cities between the ages of 50 and 65 explained how online dating has turned out to be their savior. 7 per cent of these men are widowed, 9 per cent are divorced, and 18 per cent never married. They disclosed the difficulties of dating in a small Indian city.

Firstly, women of that age are under more pressure from society than men. Hence, finding a suitable partner with the same emotional maturity and freedom to choose love over societal stigma is the biggest challenge. But on dating apps, they stated, people can connect from any part of the country, and not just their locality. Moreover, it offers the kind of privacy that is not possible in real life. Plus, the facility to chat with a person for a while before taking it ‘IRL' or ‘in real life' allows these men ample time to evaluate if they are being duped.

Companionship over love
27 per cent of women above 50 voiced that companionship, the genuine kind, is superior to love, and that is what they are seeking. They mentioned being in relationships, experiencing true love, and even truer heartbreaks when they were young, and after all these years, they have come to realise that comfortable companionship is what matters in the end. They also disclosed the exact requirements on their bio, so no man will come with expectations that do not align with what they are willing to offer.

Success stories
8 per cent of the survey participants claim to have found genuine love on the app. 12 per cent of women mentioned they have found friends like family and urged more seniors to start using dating and friendship apps; age should never be the factor in deciding whether one deserves to find real connections.

The app's founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, says, "This survey helps us gain a clearer perspective on the sudden rise in senior dating individuals and how dating patterns are changing. For instance, we see many of our senior users looking for companionship, not necessarily romantic or strictly platonic connections, nor does it have to have an end goal in sight. The connection, however, has to be genuine; a requirement unique to this age group."