Singles over 40 reveal biggest pitfalls of online dating

By Robert Knight, 72Point via SWNS

Single over-40s have revealed the biggest pitfalls of online dating - including not knowing how to use dating apps, discovering their date is married, and fears of being catfished.

A poll of 750 adults aged 40-plus who are not in a relationship found meeting a partner through digital dating has been a struggle for 74 percent of the 31 percent who’ve tried it.

A lack of digital skills has proven to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks when attempting to find love online - with 59 percent claiming this has hindered them in their pursuit.

Other downsides to digital dating, according to those aged 40 and above, include knowing how to start a conversation online and being clueless what to say in their about me section.

Picking the perfect profile pic has also been a challenge for many – as has being able to recognize their date in real life, having never met them before.

The research was commissioned by Virgin Media O2 to help improve the nation’s digital skills through Get Online Week.

Judi Love, TV personality, comedian and presenter, 42, is backing the campaign having struggled with online dating herself.

“Online dating when you’re over 40 can be a minefield – from finding the right app for you, creating the right profile, taking your best picture and making conversation with different personalities you meet online," she said.

"Get Online Week is a great opportunity to brush up on your online skills and develop your digital mojo to gain confidence and put yourself out there.

"If you’re looking for love, it’s never too late to start.”

The study also found 54 percent who’ve experimented with online dating said they can't 'get their head around' the apps.

And 15 percent of everyone polled claim not to know what swiping left or right means, while 12 percent can't create a dating profile, and 14 percent don't know how to take a profile pic.

Further drawbacks to online dating include discovering a date’s bio details are inaccurate and realizing the spark they’d had when conversing online was non-existent in person.

It also emerged 18 percent are scared to try dating over the internet – with 46 percent of the opinion this method of finding a partner is "a young person’s game."

Yet the study carried out through OnePoll found 20 percent claim not to know how to meet someone in real life.

“We’re proudly partnering with Good Things Foundation to help the nation to improve their digital skills during Get Online Week," said Nicola Green, at Virgin Media O2.

"We hope our free digital skills masterclasses being held across the UK, plus Judi’s top tips will give singletons the confidence to try online dating and find the love of their lives.”

To find out more about Get Online Week and see Judi Love’s top online dating tips click here.

Top 10 Pitfalls of Online Dating According to Those 40 and Over

1. Knowing how to spot a ‘catfish’
2. Fears they’ve setup a fake identity
3. Discovering their bio details aren’t accurate
4. Worrying about being scammed
5. Discovering you have little in common with a date despite their bio suggesting otherwise
6. Realizing there was no ‘spark’ on meeting in real life
7. Knowing what red flags to look out for when dating online
8. Finding out they are dating lots of other people at the same time
9. Concerns the other person won’t resemble their profile pic
10. Dates being much older in appearance than their profile pic suggests