The Top 10 Dating Trends and Tips of 2017
Take your swiping game to the next level.
As 2017 nears its end and we prepare to welcome 2018 in just a few days, online dating site Zoosk took a good look at the past year and analyzed data from over 40 million users, and uncovered exactly what the online dating world was like this year, and how much it’s changed compared to previous years.
And so, per Zoosk’s massive and highly detailed analysis, here are the 10 biggest dating trends of 2017.
1. Nice guys actually finish first
You know the age-old saying “Nice guys finish last?” Well, in a surprising turn of events, it turned out that nice guys actually get laid more than everyone else, so I guess you can say they technically finish first, if you know what I mean.
Zoosk’s analysis found that men who have words like “thoughtful,” “listener,” “polite,” “giving,” “community,” “give back,” and “friendly” in their profiles got 66 percent more messages than those who don’t have those words. Nice. Looks like it pays off to be an actually nice guy.
2. Don’t filter your matches
If you think that filtering your potential matches and narrowing your pool of people to very specific groups of people, like college-educated 25-year olds, is going to get you a girlfriend faster, you’re wrong. Apparently, people who use filters on dating apps send out more messages, but get 11 percent fewer responses.
That said, maybe you should turn off the filters, lower your standards, and accept whatever comes your way.
3. More women are dating older men
Compared to 2016, people were 9 percent more likely to message, like, or have a conversation with someone 10 years older or younger than them.
4. A higher education makes you hotter
If you have a college degree, congratulations, because your massive student loans just made you more appealing on dating apps. Hooray!
Apparently, people who have a bachelor’s degree or higher are seen as more attractive, and they get 17 percent more replies to their messages. Bet they didn’t tell you that at freshman orientation, did they?
5. Women really like it when you talk about food
Apparently, when you simply mention food without specifications in your profile, more women will respond to your messages, but more importantly, any mention of guacamole will bring about a 144 percent increase in messages, and talking about potatoes will increase your messages by 101 percent.
So, when in doubt, just talk about food, guacamole, or potatoes. She’ll probably respond.
6. People don’t hate you if you’re a vegetarian anymore
In 2015, if you were to casually mention you’re a vegetarian, you would have gotten 100 percent fewer replies than the average, because vegetarians are usually annoying. Now, in 2017, talking about being a vegetarian will actually get you 3 percent more replies, and more interestingly, if your profile mentions veganism, you’ll get 62 percent more messages than the average. Peak 2017, am I right?
7. Lunch dates are more popular than dinner dates
For some reason, asking your match out to lunch will get you 25 percent more responses than the average, while asking her out for coffee, dinner, or drinks will get you 13 percent fewer responses. Huh. Interesting.
8. The most talkative women live in Ohio
If you want lots of replies to the messages you send, try swiping in Ohio, because apparently, women in Ohio send more messages than in any other state. Why? I don’t know. But good info to know nonetheless.
Here are the top 5 cities with the most talkative women:
- Weirton-Steubenville, Ohio
- Cincinnati-Middletown, Indiana
- Huntington-Ashland, Ohio
- Wheeling, Ohio
- Yuba City, California
And just for kicks, here are the top 5 cities with the most talkative men:
- Owensboro, Kentucky
- The Greater New York City Area
- The Greater LA Area
- Morristown, Tennessee
- Evansville, Kentucky
9. Don’t wait too long to respond
Pro tip: Don’t wait too long to respond to messages, because if you wait longer than a day to reply, the response rate isn’t too favorable at a measly 45 percent. However, if you reply in the same day, there’s a 62 percent chance she’s going to respond to you. Still kinda low, but way better than 45 percent.
10. January is the busiest month for dating apps
This year, the single most popular day for dating apps was November 15th, with 11 percent more activity than the daily average. I’m going to make an educated guess and presume that’s the day cuffing season officially commenced.
When looking at monthly data, however, the most popular month for online dating was January, with 9 percent more activity. I’m going to assume January was popular because it’s cold as fuck and people just wanted a warm body to snuggle up to.
H/T: Zoosk