Online Dating or Traditional Courtship: Which One Leads to More Marital Bliss?

Swipe right vs. old-school love

How do marriages that start with a swipe online really end in the U.S.? Are they successful? Do people find their happily ever after? A new study suggests that earlier research may have gotten it wrong, and they aren’t more successful than meeting the old-fashioned way.

Unlike previous studies, these researchers looked at marital stability and satisfaction over time. They found those who met their forever person virtually tended to be younger with more dating experience before tying the knot. They were also more likely to marry same-sex or interracial partners.

Unfortunately, they DID NOT report more satisfaction and success than their traditional meeting counterparts. These findings may be related to society being less accepting of people meeting online and friends and/or family not being as supportive.

The silver lining: These marriages weren’t necessarily subpar. On average, they consistently maintained a high level of quality.