The age-old question of where to meet eligible singles has been answered! According to a recently published statistical analysis summarized in the MIT Technology Review, you’ve come to the right place!
We Used To Do It This Way…
The study titled “The Strength of Absent Ties: Social Integration via Online Dating by Josue Ortega, Philipp Hergovich,” was designed to improve our understanding of the impact of online dating on racial diversity in modern societies.
Interestingly, according to the study, after the introduction of online dating the percentage of new marriages created by interracial couples increased rapidly and continued to reflect huge increases over the last 20 years. This result may also be linked to the fact that the population of the United States is more interracial now than it was 20 years ago.
In addition the researchers were interested in whether marriages created online were any different from marriages that existed before online dating became popular. On this note, the study came to the remarkable conclusion that online dating is influencing the stability of marriage itself.
The study specifically considered single heterosexual individuals who preferred marrying anyone over remaining alone. This is also the likely the representation of the individuals using CatholicSingles.com.
Dating Before the Age of the Internet
Before the Internet era, single individuals tended to meet people to date through acquaintances. It was these acquaintances who would link individuals to groups outside of their close friend groups to find that special someone.
Before online dating websites became popular, people would meet these acquaintances and their future partners in one of the following ways, listed in the order of prevalence:
- Through mutual friends
- In bars
- At work
- In educational institutions
- At church
- Through their families
- Because they became neighbors
Fast forward to 2017—with online dating services like CatholicSingles.com, the way people meet their future spouses has changed dramatically.
The Current Scene—Online Dating
According to the study, online dating is now the second most popular way to meet a spouse. In addition, today more than one-third of marriages start online.
Meeting someone through friends remains the number one way to meet a future spouse. But once you have met and passed on all of the people your friends have introduced you to, your best bet for finding Mr. or Mrs. Right will be right here.
This should give you a lot of encouragement that you have taken a step in the right direction. Rather than wasting your time in trying to meet someone the old way at a bar or at work, you are more likely to find the right person by using an online dating service.
Online Marriages—Surprise!—Last Longer
The research regarding the strength of marriages created through online dating services found lower rates of marital breakup than those marriages between two people who have met by traditional methods. The study also predicts that this trend will continue.
As a result, societies where online dating is available should produce marriages that are less likely to break up. This is a profound revelation. Society will ultimately reap the benefits of online dating through stronger and lasting marriages.
There may be several reasons why marriages that are created through online dating services are lasting longer, such as:
- There are more choices of people to date
- With more choice, there is less of likelihood of settling for second best
- Singles can then focus on finding a spouse with unifying traits, such as religion
The Perspective of the Catholic Church
Although the study did not factor religion into the equation, we can theorize the results if the study considered only Catholic singles. I would predict that people who meet through a Catholic online dating website will have even stronger and more long-lasting marriages than the population as a whole. This confidence rests in the strong and clear teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church has held steadfast to the truths regarding marriage and family. These teachings can be summarized as follows:
- Marriage – the Church supports and encourages marriages between one man and one woman.
- Divorce – the Church discourages divorce and prohibits remarriage after divorce, absent an annulment.
- Contraception – artificial contraception which closes a couple off from being open to life and God’s grace.
- Natural family planning (NFP) – couples practicing NFP are much less likely to divorce.
- Abortion – abortion hurts women, their unborn babies, and has lasting negative effects on relationships.
The Church’s teachings on marriage and family are directly responsible for the significantly lower divorce rates among Catholics. In addition, married couples who are practicing Catholics have even lower divorce rates than marriages between those of different faiths. This is because married practicing Catholics receive grace through prayer and frequenting the sacraments together.
With these basics in mind, I would suggest that individuals who find their future spouse on a Catholic dating website have a fantastic likelihood of having a lasting, and happy marriage.
This is such great news if you have been concerned about meeting someone online. Not only are you in the right place to try to find your soulmate, but if and when you do, you are likely to find much happiness in your relationship.
So if you have had second thoughts about using an online dating tool, think again. More likely than not your soulmate is also on here looking for you!
