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Love@AOL Survey Reveals That 76% of Singles Who Use Online Dating Sites Find Romance

Posted on: Thursday, 9 February 2006, 09:00 CST

America Online, Inc.: Nearly 60% Formed Long-Term Relationships Through Online Connections Survey Ranks Atlanta #1 "Best Dating City for Singles" For Second Year in a Row, Washington D.C. is the Worst

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the second annual Love@AOL (www.love.com) Dating Trends survey finds that 76% of singles nationwide who use Internet dating sites have met someone special, with 58% of those respondents saying they have turned an online connection into a relationship that has lasted for several months to more than a year.

The Love@AOL service, in conjunction with Opinion Research Corporation, commissioned this national poll of over 4,000 unmarried men and women to look at how American singles date and relate - whether online, on-the-go or on-the-job. The survey also looks at male and female perspectives on dating and Valentine's Day, and ranks the best and worst cities for dating.

"Our annual survey shows that more and more singles are looking to the Web to find a date or start a relationship, and they are succeeding," said Josh Stevens, General Manager, AOL(R) Personals and head of the Love@AOL service. "No wonder, since singles find it easier to use online personals services like Love@AOL to find a breadth of romantic relationships, from last-minute dates to long-term love."

According to the Love@AOL(R) 2006 Dating Trends Survey:

LOOKING FOR LOVE?:

-- The Internet beat out several other traditional meeting spots

for dates. The survey found that 16% of singles met their last

date online, besting more traditional meeting places like work

(15%), bars and dance clubs (11%), school (8%) or coffee

houses and bookstores (3%). The leading way to meet a date

continues to be through friends and family, with 21% of

singles saying that was how they met their last date.

-- Internet romance looks even better to those in a time-crunch.

Eleventh-hour love online took a sharp upturn in this year's

findings, with a 24% increase over last year in the number of

singles who turn to online dating sites to find a last-minute

date. -- Singles who use online dating sites said the biggest advantages include: -- Meeting someone with common interests (73% ) -- Meeting someone who lives nearby (73%) -- Safe communication exchanges before meeting (66%) -- A lot of people to choose from (62%)

NEW ROMANCE ETIQUETTE:

-- Despite the majority of women (54%) saying they would date

someone who makes less money than they do, nearly half (49%)

said that the man usually pays for the first date. And the

majority of men (68%) agreed that they usually pick up the

tab!

-- In addition, while 82% of women say it is okay for a woman to

call a man after the first date, 49% say they never make the

call. Luckily for them, more than three quarters of men (77%)

stated that they usually call within two days after the first

date.

OFFICE ROMANCE - TABOO? OR NEW TREND?:

-- More than half of single men (54%) surveyed said they would be

open to dating a co-worker, compared with 40% of women - an

increase over last year's survey, where only 45% of males and

35% of females considered the workplace an appropriate

environment for seeking romance.

-- An overwhelming majority of men (70%) and women (83%) say

dating the boss is not a good idea.

-- One out of five singles admits they have gone on an online

personals service during office hours.

-- And, just 10% of singles cite work as a primary barrier to

love; and only 12% have used the line "I'm really focused with

my career right now" in order to break up a romantic

relationship.

FAVORITE VALENTINE'S GIFTS:

-- The traditional flowers and jewelry came up short this year

with just 21% listing flowers as a favorite Valentine's

present, and a mere 8% putting jewelry at the top of their

wish list.

-- Most cherished gift? A romantic dinner - which 36% of those

surveyed cited as their favorite Valentine's gift to receive.

LOVE@AOL DATING INDEX: BEST AND WORST DATING CITIES FOR SINGLES:

Based on regionalized surveys in 20 key markets, the Love@AOL "Dating Index" measures where a single person is most likely to have a good or bad date. Respondents were asked to give their city a "Dating GPA," based on things like ease of getting dates within the region, number of places to go out on dates, and so on. The individual grades were tallied with answers to a number of other dating-related questions. The cities were then ranked in the Love@AOL survey's "Dating Index."

Some notable changes in the rankings this year: It appears that "Sex and the City" attitudes are on the wane in the Big Apple, with New York taking a turn from a "Best Dating City" in 2005 to a "Worst Dating City" on this year's list. And the frequently potent combination of politics and passion seems to have lost steam in the nation's capital, with Washington D.C. going from a top ten "Best" ranking in 2005 to achieving the dubious honor of being the #1 "Worst City For Dating" in 2006.

On the flipside, when it comes to keeping the flame alive year-over-year, Atlanta continues to earn its "Hotlanta" nickname, holding its position as the No. 1 "Best Dating City" for the second year in the row. Los Angeles also holds steady, keeping its second place ranking for the second year.

The complete lists: The Worst Dating Cities for Singles: 1. Washington, D.C. 2. Minneapolis/St. Paul 3. Phoenix 4. Miami 5. Tampa 6. Cleveland 7. Sacramento 8. New York City 9. Chicago 10. Seattle The Best Dating Cities for Singles: 1. Atlanta 2. Los Angeles 3. Houston 4. Detroit 5. Dallas/Ft. Worth 6. Orlando 7. Philadelphia 8. San Francisco 9. Denver 10. Boston

For editorial features highlighting the results of the Love@AOL 2006 Dating Trends survey, go to: www.love.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Survey data specific to the top-20 media markets is available upon request. In addition, a bites and b-roll package including candid interviews with singles about dating and finding romance on the Web, survey commentary from Love@AOL spokesperson Josh Stevens, and generic dating/Valentine's Day shots, is available as a hard copy tape or via satellite on February 9, 2006.

Survey Methodology:

Survey results are based on 4,051 respondents, 18 years and older, who are single, in the top 20 markets around the country. The survey was conducted December 19-29, 2005 by Opinion Research Corporation www.opinionresearch.com on behalf of America Online. The Love@AOL Bad Date Index is a compilation of several key factors, including the "date grade" for each city, the percentage who would date a friend's ex, don't like to give or receive Valentine's Day gifts, don't prepare for Valentine's Day, and the number of breakup lines used.

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate a leading network of Web brands and the largest Internet access subscription service in the United States. Brands include the AOL(R) service, the AOL.com(R) website, and the AIM(R), MapQuest(R), Moviefone(R), Netscape(R), CompuServe(R) and ICQ(R) services. America Online offers a range of digital services including the TotalTalk(R) voice service. The company also has operations in Canada and Europe. America Online, Inc. is based in Dulles, Virginia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

Source: Business Wire

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