In the age of Tinder and dating websites, men and women across the globe are questioning whether they are too old or ‘beyond’ putting themselves out there online, says relationship expert Yvonne Allen.
But couples across Penrith are proving that love can be found in the depths of the online dating realm – but expect to kiss a few frogs before finding your prince charming.
Llandilo couple Jessica Harrison and Craig O’Connor are now a real-life ‘Brady Bunch’ after meeting on Tinder three years ago.
After leaving a domestically violent relationship with her two daughters, Ms Harrison was reluctant to put herself back out there, but instead took a leap of faith, signed up to the app and has never looked back since.
Combining her little family with Mr O’Connor and his three sons, the pair now have given birth to their own little girl and say life is nothing but amazing… albeit busy.
“I’m definitely surprised by how well it has worked because Tinder is known as the ‘hook up’ app and yet I found my soulmate on there,” Ms Harrison told the Weekender this week.
“We’ve been together for three years now and have a five-month-old little girl and we are about to purchase our first home.”
Ms Harrison urged other local single mums to not give up but acknowledged it’s not easy to find love.
“Stay open-minded because there is some really genuine guys on there but you do get the guys on there who are only after one thing,” she said.
“Take a while to talk to them and get to know them, don’t rush it, also on the dating apps you pay for, you are more likely to find a genuine guy as they’ve paid to be on there too.”
Ms Allen, who runs her own matchmaking service, said it’s important for women to try a variety of dating services to find what’s right for them.
“The upshot is you are never too old for Tinder, but depending on your age and lifestyle preferences, it may not be the ideal platform for you,” she said.
Ms Allen said her top tips for online dating are learn to spot a fake profile, always meet in a public place, and take time to get to know people.
For more dating tips, visit www.yvonneallen.com.au.
Single seniors open to new love
Australian seniors who find themselves single are certainly not giving up on love and are turning to online dating with the support of their families, according to a new study released by Australian Seniors.
Although traditional routes to finding love are still popular, more seniors are open to a digital dating approach.
When navigating the dating scene, the majority of seniors say they prefer to be free to ‘play the field’ until they find the right person (63.2%) and would consider dating someone considerably younger (55.9%) than themselves.
However, it’s not just romantic connections that are being formed, more than two in five (44.0%) dating seniors say they have met or made new friends via dating websites. Of these, over one in five (21.0%) say they would now consider the people they met as close friends.
Australian Seniors spokesperson, Sarah Richards, said: “Our research shows that while most seniors feel as though dating doesn’t get easier with age, they are more open to new ways of connecting with people. The bonds they form, whether romantic or otherwise, are encouraging seniors to feel empowered as they choose which method they prefer to meet new people.”
A graduate of Western Sydney University, Nicola Barton is a news journalist with the Western Weekender, primarily covering crime and politics.
