New research conducted by eharmony and the Monash University predicts that by 2038, more than half of newborns will be born to couples who met online.
The new children are known as e-babies and it’s also expected that by 2040, more couples will be meeting online than in the real world.
eharmony worked with the Australian university to publish The Future of Dating report which found online dating is already the most popular way for people to meet.
Almost 30% of respondents said online dating was their preferred method of meeting partners, well ahead of meeting through a mutual friend or meeting at work, at 17% and 16% respectively.
Pubs and clubs also had a severe demotion. Research suggests that in the early 1980s, one in five couples met in the pub, but that’s now dropped to just 6%.
More than two thirds of people agreed online dating had become more normalised and one in two said the internet made it easier for introverts to find love.
Sharon Draper, eharmony’s resident relationship expert, explained in a statement: “Online dating often gets a bad rap for encouraging casual dating and swipe culture.
“That said, if you’re new to online dating and you want to find a serious relationship, think carefully about the type of person you want to attract.”
With internet dating allowing singles to narrow the pool significantly based on compatibility, Draper says the uptick in couples meeting online can only be a good thing.
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