Here’s one of those internet dating stories that managed to get me thinking. I read an article from the Washington Post and it has me a little bit puzzled. I’m not sure if I actually grasp the entire concept, but it just goes to show how accepting the younger public is starting to become about meeting people through non-traditional methods.
Online dating site Skout conducted a survey of their existing members to see how accepting their members would be in meeting up with people they found through their mobile application, which runs as an application off of the iPhone. They surveyed 1000 members between the ages of 20-30 and the results were one of the more eye-opening internet dating stories.
51 percent of the consumers surveyed have met another single person in the Real World that they initiated contact with on their iPhone. Also, almost 70 percent of the respondents indicated that they felt comfortable meeting up with someone they found using their smart phone at some point in the future.
With all the concerns about the safety factors involved in meeting other singles online, these Skout members seem almost cavalier in their approach to meeting other singles. They don’t seem to be concerned with the many internet dating stories concerned with safety and protecting personal information.
One point that can’t be ignored from this article is the growing dependence we continue to place on our mobile phone, especially in the under 30 crowd. It’s used for everything, and many sites are going to need to find a way to cater to this growing segment of the dating community.
Would you be interested in meeting someone you found using a mobile application that alerts you to possible matches in your area , or would you still feel more comfortable relying on the “traditional” method of going online and doing a little more research? I’m curious to know your thoughts on this rapidly growing niche of internet dating stories? ~Mac
