img @ taracronica

The term “cougar” as we’ve discussed previously, generally implies a woman over 40 who tends to “prey” on much younger men. They’re in their sexual peaks, looking for men who can handle their burgeoning sexuality and also serve as “arm candy,” a position that, up until recently, was held for younger women and their much older companions. Demi Moore, a 40+ actress, was the poster child for this phenomenon, dating and eventually even marrying the much younger Ashton Kutcher.

As the term gained popularity and began inching its way into the mainstream, cougar themed events, cruises, TV shows, and dating sites all jumped on the train. However, the idea of the cougar-cub relationship always carried a playful vibe… nothing serious, very casual, and usually short term. So it makes sense that a recent study showed that among most mainstream dating profiles, women overwhelmingly stated that they were looking for men either their age or older. Similarly, men displayed what we’ve known for centuries: the majority of them wanted younger women.

These results, presented by noted psychology researcher at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, Michael Dunn, were not well received by the pro-cougar crowd. Many called it misogynistic and anti-cougar, claiming that there have been many studies in the past that showed older women were still feeling sexual enough to pursue relationships with younger men.

Needless to say, we’re torn. While we know it’s probably true that older women looking to settle down (which are much of what you find on dating sites) would probably skew towards the older end of the scale, we also agree with the pro-cougar crowd… it’s apparent that fun, casual relationships between younger men and older women are cropping up more and more as women become more empowered and men more progressive.

What do you think? Is the cougar-cub relationship a myth perpetrated by dating sites and pop culture? Or are relationships between older women and younger men actually making a boom on the dating scene?

According to a recent report from NPR.org, the computer has created a bigger upset in the dating culture than even the invention of telephone. Recalling a recent study done by Stanford University’s Michael Rosenfeld shows that more people than ever are turning to online dating sites to find their mate, generally because we are more inclined to want to know details about people before we date them, as New York psychologist Nicole Adams says, ‘weed out the real crazy people, for lack of a better term.’

Read more about how online dating is taking over the scene at NPR.org.

img @ studioaccessballroom.com

Every time I think that there are absolutely no more possible niche dating sites left, something comes along and reminds me that the universe, and dating sites by association, are infinite. This one, however, might get more of a foothold than other dating sites — YouAndMeArePure.com, a site that connects virgins to other virgins, so that they don’t have to worry about meeting someone on a mainstream site and then having to awkwardly admit that they’ve never slept with anyone.

In theory, the members of the site could be open about their belief systems and reasons for remaining chaste until marriage, however, we see a few issues in the concept:

a) The site name is grammatically incorrect.

b) Since virginity tests happen to be illegal in most countries, nothing prevents wolves (or cougars) in sheep’s clothing from infiltrating the herd.

c) They have a SecondLife “Virgin Park,” which if you ask us, is basically some combination of a Dateline NBC special and a creepy 1 AM Cinemax soft core flick.

Check out the site at YouAndMeArePure.com, or read the full article at TheHuffingtonPost.

OnlineBootyCall.com, the world’s premier casual dating site, has always been known for their ability to turn the sometimes-too-serious world of online dating on its head. One of the most successful ways they’ve done this was with their release of the “Booty Call Commandments” back in 2007. With rules like, “Thou shalt get out before the sun rises,” and “thou shalt kiss anything but my mouth,” they showed a fun alternative to more mainstream sites assumption that all dating should be serious, monogamous, and forever.

Recently, the team behind OBC decided to revamp the site with a whole new streamlined look, and thought that using the booty call commandments as a cornerstone would be the perfect way to remind its members (as well as potential ones) of the rules of casual dating in a fun tongue-in-cheek way. Not only will new members cycle through them during the sign up process, but returning users can remind themselves anytime by visiting the Booty Call Commandments page here!

img @ onlinedatinganxiety

It’s hard to believe that just 3 months ago, Match.com celebrated its 15th anniversary. 15! That means there very well could be kids in high school and junior high whose parents met via online dating, an industry that even those of us in it feel is still young.

Once you take a deeper look into the online dating world, though, you’ll see that the advancements are monumental. Just like those kids in high school, the industry has matured, learned from its mistakes, and is growing into its most experimental, innovative stage.

Take DatePro’s past posts about “OppositesConnect” and “FlipMe” dating. No matter our personal opinions, it’s refreshing to see companies looking at dating from various approaches. Though mainstream sites like Match and eHarmony are still succeeding with individuals looking to the long-term, there are finally dating sites which, following the larger trend of society, are opening up to the flirting and casual dating crowd.

What was the turning point? Where did online dating go from a almost embarrassing secret to something that nearly 7 million people have used to meet other? We think it has to do with 2 aspects:

1) Becoming more open-minded

Match and eHarmony, as we said before, are massively successful companies with a great message, but we’ve noticed that more and more dating sites are realizing that its not only the “married within a year” crowd that is experiencing online dating these days. Now those looking for casual relationships can get in on the fun too, with sites like MetroDate and OBC, without having to sign up for sites that push undesired future expectations on its members. Catering to all is one of the surest signs of progress, and the online dating industry is a great example.

2) Taking ourselves less seriously

When online dating was new, we had to make big bold statements, promising big results and guaranteed matches and love at first click. Now we realize that dating sites are just virtual coffee shops and bars. We shouldn’t have to make false claims about your compatability with someone. If someone catches your eye at a bar, you don’t feel cheated if you guys don’t hit it off – you’re just two people meeting looking for a chance at fate (or just fun). The only difference in online dating is you get a bit of a head start — a glimpse at another single’s hobbies and personality, so you can avoid disasters.

These two simple items: both more related to taking a step back thank taking a step forward, are reasons that online dating is still steadily growing more and more popular. And as people realize that their nervousness about online dating is unfounded (with the correct safety precautions), we imagine the only place to go is up!

I haven’t seen a dating site that confused me this much in quite some time, so I had to hop onto DatePro and get your opinions, readers. FlipMeDating is a website based on the very accurate truth that we as human animals see at least one person a day who we find attractive. Maybe at a coffee shop, the subway, or just while walking to your car in a parking lot, there is always a chance that maybe in a split second’s moment, you saw (and probably walked away from) someone who could be your potential soul mate (or at least a great hook up).

Enter FlipMe Cards, which are just like business cards but with a little twist: they link to your FlipMe Dating profile, with a special code that only the holder of the card (and potentially all his/her friends) can use. The cards have a cheesy little blurb on the back “I’ve said what if too many times…”(eesh) and then the website address and the code to find you on the site.

The handoff of the card is where I wonder… is this a brilliant idea or a cheesy, amateur way to date? If you were on the street and someone handed you a card, would you keep it, toss it, or stare at it in confusion, because why didn’t they just say hi? And how many other people have they handed these things to? Part of me thinks it’s kinda cute and might be fun to get a card handed to you, but another part of me thinks it’s just another way that technology is making us revert to childhood shyness. With words on the card like “FlipperID,” it just seems a little cheesy.

But hey, if it works, we’re impressed, maybe I’ll just start handing out a flash card with my Facebook URL on it… hmm…

Oh men. So strong and hard on the outside, and yet so soft and emotional on the inside, like a some sort of caramel filled candy bar man. Such is the case is England this past week, when the English World Cup team was beat in a disastrous 4 : 1 loss to Germany. Men all across the country bowed their heads and teared up a little, and then went straight to the computer and signed up for online dating sites.

Singles365.com reported that traffic to their site exploded by almost 200% in the days following England’s loss and claim that within minutes of the final whistle, visitors began pouring in at alarming rates. Just picturing red-eyed, sniffling soccer fans sitting at their computer makes me giggle. Katie Mowe, of Singles365, said “Our message to all the single ladies out there who are looking for a date is strike whilst the iron is hot – the football season will be start again in less than two months!”

Which lead me to this thought…

Considering during the football season men generally ignore women (don’t deny it, all women know this), and a good game of Madden generally renders male ears useless, and golf games are strictly lady-less, I sometimes believe that a hearty sports addiction actually stifles the sexual desire hormone. I am no scientist, but seriously, guys, answer the question. If you had to choose sports of sex… what would you choose?

More at the Source

img @ factoidz

Deciding to take the plunge into online dating can be pretty nerve-racking. You don’t know what to expect, you’re nervous about the prospect of somewhat “blind” dates, and you’ve probably heard horror stories from friends who had disastrous results.

DatePro has been giving advice for months on the best way to online date, common mistakes, and dating faux pas. And although we always say to keep an open mind about your potential dates, there are, in general, a few set rules about who to avoid.

1. Lazy, thrown together profiles

If you’re judging the profile by the photo — and only the photo — because there’s no content, it’s probably not a good start. If they’re only willing to upload the minimum requirements, they probably aren’t really looking for a date. If you’re looking for a fun hook up, head to OBC or AdultFriendFinder. But if you’re on a more serious dating site, steer clear of profiles with no “About Me” or “Who I’d Like to Meet.” Who’s to say they aren’t that lazy in the real world too?

2. Too many mirror shots

You know the ones I’m talking about. Cell phone or camera, minimal clothing, serious face, in the bathroom… These photos were appropriate back in the days of MySpace, but it’s 2010. We have self-timers and shirts these days, why not put both to use when building your dating profile?

3. Not enough photos. At all.

If each of their photos has part of their face obscured, or is extremely blurred or contrasted beyond recognition, they may be hiding something. And while we’ve said before that looks aren’t everything, you probably don’t want to go into the date completely unaware.

4. A whole spiel about their ex, negative or positive

Getting into the only dating world is about moving forward. Taking dating to the next step and becoming someone new: confident, ready to move on, excited to try new things. If the person’s whole profile is either regaling or reviling their ex, it’s probably a sign that no, they aren’t ready to move on.

5. Cookie cutter language

This one is a bit of a toss up. If their profile lists interests like “walking on the beach,” “cuddling,” or “just about anything,” it probably means they are either opinionless… or just too nervous to be opinionated. If its the former, your date will likely be boring, uneventful, and disheartening. However, there is a possibility that its the first. So send them a message, and say, “what REALLY interests you,” and maybe they’ll open up a bit.

Hopefully this helps you on your path to the world of online dating. Good luck!

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HerWay.com, the first dating site where women take the lead, today announced their official public launch. Unlike other dating sites, HerWay takes the “Sadie Hawkins” approach to online dating, placing women in charge of initiating the connection. By keeping female profiles completely hidden until she’s ready to connect, HerWay provides women unprecedented privacy and discretion as they search for Mr. Right.

According to HerWay, it is at least five times more likely that online daters will successfully connect when a woman initiates contact. By letting women make the initial connection with their potential suitors, HerWay creates an environment where women’s intuition rules and connections therefore have a much better chance of turning into love. This concept is mutually beneficial as it also relieves men of the pressure of having to compete for a woman’s attention, allowing them to sit back and let the ladies come to them.

“For the 40 million singles currently dating online, the process can be frustrating at best,” said Chris Dunn, CEO of Herway.com. “On other sites like Match.com, women are inundated with unsolicited messages from men competing for their attention, which makes them stop checking their messages and, in turn, frustrates the men because of the lack of responses. This dating environment overwhelms both sexes to the point that many simply give up on online dating. These issues are exactly what HerWay aims to solve.”

Here’s how it works:

The HerWay registration process takes less than a minute as users build full profiles and post pictures of themselves. Once their profile is built, female users can search the entire database of male profiles on the site and are encouraged to send free invitations to connect with men they find appealing. A woman’s profile is only revealed to the man of her choosing after she has shown interest in him with a connection invitation. Once the connection is established, the male user can view, flirt and message his match; and for traditionalists, set up their first date.

In addition, male users are offered numerous features aimed at making them better daters and more appealing to women. These features include detailed profile performance reports that illustrate how their profile success rates stack up as compared to other men on the site.

About HerWay.com

HerWay.com is the first online dating site where women take the lead. Similar to Sadie Hawkins, HerWay’s innovative approach to dating ensures women control the action by allowing them to browse profiles anonymously, while men are restricted from searching altogether. Founded in 2010, the HerWay concept provides men and women a dating solution that gives women unprecedented privacy and discretion as they use their intuition to search for Mr. Right. For more information please visit www.herway.com.

img @ impactlab

Erin Meanley, the awesome blogger over at Single-ish, recently attended a panel called “Love 2.0,” where she listened in on some newfacts (and tips!) on how to make dating in this technology-obsessed world easier and more reliable. Here are some of the facts she learned:

13 percent of men on dating sites are married. (ACK!)
Men, more than women, like to control how much information is public about themselves (e.g. they untag their photos on Facebook more often than women).

Make your profile “skimmable” and easy for guys to read, says digital dating coach and eFlirt Expert founder Laurie Davis. Bullet points are good.

Author and psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein talked about the “Click Problem”—if they don’t like one thing about you, they can just go back and click. It’s like pulling up to a bar with 50 million singles at it. Doh—!

India has the lowest divorce rate. 95 percent of their marriages are arranged. (We need to go back to the notion of suitability, which we used to subscribe to centuries ago when our families were involved. Parents are more concerned with, Will you two get along?)

85% of Zooskers say that dating can be fun without spending money.

Interesting, right?! For more info about her experience and to read more great dating advice, check out Single-ish over at the Glamour site.