The singleness that follows a divorce does not have to be a life sentence—the virtual matchmaking world awaits. Are you ready for the online dating scene?
It’s time to get back out there
Family law attorney Sandro Tuzzo founded Separate.us, an online divorce website, and encourages clients to engage in online dating while going through the divorce process. “We are finding that it helps people to move through the process faster, rather than dwell on the failed relationship.”
Divorced-single woman and founder of Reboundlovers.com LaVonya Reese says online dating is a great starting place for singles looking to re-enter the dating scene. “It offers the opportunity to search local singles in the privacy of their home, without worrying about committing to a date.”
Furthermore, a recent Avvo study indicates divorced people are finding a lot of interested parties when dating online.
Which dating app is best?
The best app is the app that has the largest pool of potential partners for you and your specific situation. So before you sign up for all of them—or pay pricey subscription fees—consider the following dating app usage data from Priceonomics and Survey Monkey Intelligence:
- Tinder is the most-used app, followed by PlentyOfFish (POF), and they are way ahead of the next in line, OkCupid and eHarmony.
- Bumble, which permits only women to initiate conversations, has the highest percentage of 18- to 29-year-old users.
- Christian Mingle, Coffee Meets Bagel, and eHarmony—which are not perceived as “hook-up apps”—are the only apps with a female majority.
- Christian Mingle and eHarmony have the highest week-to-week user turnover.
- Grindr and Happn users are online most often. Contrarily, Coffee Meets Bagel sends users one match daily, so they don’t need to be online as frequently.
- Tinder’s user distribution resembles that of the national population; BlackPeopleMeet is the most regional (with its focus in the South).
Go “real world”
Online dating apps can be great, but don’t ignore other ways of meeting potential romantic partners. Professional matchmakers, for instance, are making a comeback. Then there is networking, the tried-and-true method of using friends and colleagues—the people who know you best—to help you find a good romantic match. And don’t forget about social clubs, church groups, and support organizations for divorced singles, many of whom have found romance face-to-face through such venues as Parents Without Partners.
