This article was written by By Lemarc Thomas, psychologist at Seventy Thirty Exclusive Matchmaking.
The need for online dating is clear. We lead busy lives; we have high expectations from ourselves and our relationships. We don’t want to settle for the wrong person, we want to find true compatibility. We are willing to be single, to end relationships that are not working, and to be proactive in finding the right relationship.
At Seventy Thirty however, we have noticed a few new trends.
In the past, we knew that Seventy Thirty’s high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UNNW) individuals were not going online. They needed a discreet approach to dating, which is why Seventy Thirty offered a more traditional method, where a team of psychologists, matchmakers and relationship experts, met prominent members in person, consulted with them about their values, beliefs, personality, lifestyle and goals before carefully selecting and introducing potential partners.
We have noticed that in 2015, before coming to Seventy Thirty, many of our very wealthy clients have tried online dating. However, they are confronted with difficulties because of their position in life.
Many cannot use photographs where they may be recognised. They are online for very short periods of time before deleting their profiles. They find it hard to disclose who they are. They find that wealth can be a problem as first, they need to disclose it and second, they need to be sure that the person is attracted to them rather than their wealth.
We have noticed that HNW and UHNW individuals don’t want to be online.
In 2015 we have seen that they are not alone. There are many people, despite their socio-economic status, who are online who don’t want to be there. Seventy Thirty has noticed a huge increase in enquiries from the general public asking if there is a matchmaking service for the not-so-wealthy. They dislike the online playground, finding it frustrating, and want to find new ways to meet people. There are many people using online dating as they feel it’s their only resource. When one is completely anonymous, one can be rather obnoxious. Going through online profiles promotes us to assess and judge and assume that we can always get better. Although, on the other hand it is also said that online we can be ourselves, free of judgement and Graham Jones, Internet Psychologist suggests that we are more likely to commit because we have explored more options.
So what does it mean? We know that at heart, the majority of us hold rather traditional values and we are seeking a long-term monogamous relationship with someone who we consider compatible. But could the internet bubble finally be bursting, must the dating industry prepare for the next revolution? How does the online dating industry respond to users wanting to date offline? There are waves of a new era where online and off-line dating services work together to meet the needs of despondent singles.
By Lemarc Thomas
Lemarc is a psychologist at Seventy Thirty Exclusive Matchmaking.
Website: www.seventy-thirty.com
Twitter: @Seventy_Thirty