By: Gail Metcalf
Many of those over the age of 50 actively date. Loss of a spouse or partner due to death or divorce or other life situation is no longer the beginning of many lonely years spent in mourning. Instead, dating for the over 50 crowd is big business.
At one time, dating for seniors was essentially unthought-of. The general consensus “back in the day” was that you found someone to marry and stayed married to them forever. Once they passed away, you were expected to simply live out the rest of your days as a widow or widower. Well, the times have changed.
Divorce can also bring you to a newly single status. The divorce rate today is alarmingly high, but for some people, there just isn’t another option.
Studies have shown that staying single can also put your health at risk. Researchers from the University of Chicago and Duke University have found that the longer a man spends in divorced or widower state:
• The higher his likelihood of developing heart or lung disease or cancer
• The greater his risk of high blood pressures, diabetes, and stroke
• The more difficulties he will have with mobility, such as walking or climbing stairs
This particular study only involved men, but I'm willing to bet that women run those same risks as well. It makes sense then to get back out in the social scene and date – for your health!
If you're over 50 and you'd like to date, put your fears aside. There are so many safe ways to meet others who are in a similar situation. No longer do those over 50 have to rely on friends or family or neighbors to provide them with dating opportunities.
Why should you be expected to be alone when you still have so much life to live? You shouldn’t! So you need to get out there and meet people – date, have fun, make new memories, have new experiences! What’s the best way to do that?
At one time, the only places to meet people were at church, in the grocery store, or through family and friends. Today, we have the Internet and you should take advantage of everything it has to offer in your journey back into the dating world.
Meeting new people can be challenging at any age, but for the senior, it can be especially daunting. If you’ve spent years with one person, you may not know where to begin. I think that’s normal, but don’t worry.
A quick search on the Internet shows there are many, many websites dedicated to dating for the senior set. But it can be daunting – especially for those who aren’t Internet savvy. That’s where articles and eBooks come in!
I can’t teach you the ins and outs of the Internet, but I'm betting since you’ve found this article, you already are somewhat computer literate. You don’t have to know everything about the Internet to start dating online. You just need to know how to log on and where to find the sites.
Online dating refers to a number of websites that offer services to individuals or groups who wish to meet new people online for social or romantic relationships. You dictate what type of relationship you are looking for which gives you complete control over whom you talk to and who you don’t.
Simply put, an online dating service is basically a community of people who gather together to interact, socialize, and make friends with each other. Most hope that love will come their way through the site, but at the very least, they want to find a way to date a diverse and unique person they may not have the opportunity to meet in their “real lives”.
There are a myriad of websites that cater to this service and this especially true for seniors. A quick search on the Internet will reveal an abundance of dating opportunities for those over 50. I started with a single search phrase in quotes and over 10 pages were initially returned by the search engine. You can do the same using "senior online dating." Give it a try and start your research on dating over 50.
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Gail Metcalf is a single woman exploring relationships. Learn more about senior relationships with self help audio books on relationships.