When online dating first became popular, it was common practice for couples to exchange phone numbers to continue their conversations.
But now, a new study has found that singles are becoming more reluctant to share their personal numbers due to rising fears about safety and privacy.
The recent findings were released by communications company, Bandwidth after analysing 384 individual’s answers to questions centred around the process of swapping numbers online.
The company found that just 12% of participants said they often hand out their phone number to people they meet when online dating, compared to the 25% who “Never” do, and the further 60% who said they rarely give it out.
And surprisingly, out of those who have given out their number on a dating site, 58% percent of them admitted that they the regret doing so.
Using anonymous call features
During the study, Bandwidth also uncovered some interesting insights into whether anonymous calling would be a beneficial feature for those who are not willing to give out their real number.
It found that 84% of participants agreed that they would feel safer if they didn’t have to use their actual contact numbers when on dating sites.
And of the group, 57% said they would pay more to use an anonymous calling feature which prevented them from having to exchange with their personal number.
When it comes to understanding why singles are now less inclined to hand out their personal details, it’s likely that the growing levels of crime on online dating services is a deciding factor.
Fears of ongoing harassment and the prevalence of dating-related scams are also other reasons for why online daters are becoming more wary about who they hand out their personal details to.
Recently, Scamalytics analysed its massive collection of data, to find out what the most-used scammer phrases are on online dating sites, noting that “i am often told that i am very easy to talk with” and “i am real easy person to talk to and a good listener” were amongst the top phrases in the UK.
However, despite this growing awareness of dating scams, and the increasing reluctancy to exchange phone numbers with online connections, most people (78%) still believe they can build a better relationship with someone over the phone than through email.
For more information, check out the infographic below:
