For the under set, more than half have tried it. The number rises to 1 in 5 for those under Atlanta firefighter Andy Giron, 33, is among the pleasantly surprised. Giron had just gotten out of a long-term relationship in when he decided to give Tinder a try for some casual dating.
There was an immediate connection when we first met in person. They now have a year-old daughter. Giron was inspired to turn to online dating by his sister, who found her spouse the same way. White or Black adults who have used one of the platforms are more likely than Hispanic users to say their experiences have been negative.
The number of men who have used dating sites or apps in the past year and said having casual sex was a major reason was 18 percentage points greater than female users who said the same. Like Giron, year-old Liv Loughlin, a tech company marketing associate in San Jose, California, had just ended a long-term relationship when she first tried digital dating last September.
He was immediately very, very touchy and there were all these sexual overtones to everything he said. She turned to Bumble and is now happily in a relationship with a man she met there. Safety is a large concern for some digital daters. There have been demands over the years for more protections, such as required background checks, in light of reported stalking, and sexual assaults and other violence. Few sites require such checks of every user. A majority overall said dating sites and apps should require people to undergo background checks.
Stacy Overcamp, 58, an unemployed marketing specialist, knows the dangers firsthand. One long-term relationship ended in stalking, harassment and a restraining order, she said.
