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I'm over 50 years old and I've never been on a dating site before. What do I need to know?

I'm over 50 years old and I've never been on a dating site before. What do I need to know?

People over 50 are the fastest growing segment of online daters. Any stigma that was once associated with online dating is now gone.  People of all ages are increasingly finding their matches online.

The first thing you need to do to begin dating online is decide which kind of dating site is best for you. Are you looking to date only people over 50 or would you like to have contact with younger members as well?  If you want to date people of all ages then you will want to join a site that isn’t age specific. If however you are only interested in meeting other over 50 daters, then you will want to join a site that’s geared strictly towards senior dating. You can also join dating sites sorted by religion, ethnicity or specific hobbies.

Once you decide what site to join, then you need to create a profile. The more thorough you are in creating your profile, the greater the chance that you’ll meet someone you like. So include all your interests and passions in your profile; as well as what you’re looking for in a dating partner. Be sure to include a recent photo, as profiles with pictures get twice as many responses as those without.  One word of caution, for your safety leave your personal information such as your email,  home address and phone number out of your profile. These should only be given out once you’ve have gotten to know someone on the dating site first and established a level of trust.

Once your profile is up you can begin browsing potential date’s profiles. You can contact people who interest you and you’ll be contacted by other seniors who are attracted to your profile. You’ll be able to use the dating sites communication tools to message other Baby Boomers as you get to know potential dating partners. Eventually you’ll graduate to talking on the phone and meeting in person, at which time dating will become the same as if you had met offline.