UNITED KINGDOM: Research shows around one in three internet users regard the web as a good place to find a partner

Record ID: 862020

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Research shows around one in three internet users regard the web as a good place to find a partner
  • Date: 14th February 2012
  • Summary: PHOTOGRAPH OF JANE AND ANDREAS WEDDING PICTURE JANE AND ANDREAS
  • Embargoed: 29th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Quirky,Technology,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA8PFJLFR1MANKPZ8COS0SWVN6Y
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  • Story Text: Jane and Andres Palikira are celebrating Valentine's day with a night in. They met 10 years ago through online dating site Match.com and went on to become one of the company's first Match marriages.They now have twin daughters Alessia and Sophia.
    Match.Com was one of the first internet dating sites - setting up shop in America in 1995.
    Now there are thousands of online dating firms across the world.
    Research shows around one in three internet users regard the web as a good place to find a partner.
    Karl Gregory is Match.com's Managing Director for the UK & Ireland. He says: "Online dating has changed hugely in the last 10 years, certainly we know there was an embarrassment factor, today that embarrassment factor has crumbled away. We've got millions of people using online dating sites and recently the Office of National Statistics have added online dating to their basket of goods and services just to calculate inflation, which is indicative that online dating is a pervasive part of human life today." He adds: "There are some interesting differences. If we compare the way we date in the UK versus the U.S. The U.S. are in to their multi-dating while I think in the UK and then there's markets like Germany where education is a really important part of society so surfacing degrees and your education as part of the profile is a lot more important in Germany versus the UK."
    In Britain it's estimated almost half the singles' population have tried internet dating. And it's become a valuable source of income for Britain's economy. A recent survey showed that around £3.4 billion pounds a year is spent on romantic meals, flowers and other treats.
    Andrea and Jane were among the first internet daters in the UK. Jane remembers how things were then: "I talked to my parents about how thing's were in their day and it was really different cause you had quite a different social life everything was more local you would have a local dance like every Friday. That would be where you would meet your future husband or wife and things are quite different now, people have busy life's they meet lots of different people. So I think on line dating is the perfect way to meet someone."
    They say many of their friends have tried it since and even with two small children to look after they still manage to find time for romance.
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