The Dating Game

People in their 50s and beyond are searching the Internet for romance, companionship, and sometimes marriage.

As in any age group, there are ups and downs. There's the old stale-photo trick (it's him, but 20 years and 30 pounds ago), or the date who asks right away how much money you have, or the ones who say how fabulous you are and then disappear.  Still, many older online daters say that even if they haven't found true love -- yet -- it's been worthwhile.

The main reason more mature singles are going online for love is simple: more widespread access to the Internet, hence more familiarity with online dating.   And dating sites are catering to older members.  Yahoo Personals, for example, has an advice column for users over 50, with tips -- on everything from etiquette to sexual health -- for those whose romantic radar may be a tad rusty.

Another reason: "Baby Boomers are seeing their children use online dating, and watching their success at finding mates," said Rochelle Adams, spokeswoman for Yahoo Personals. "They're seeing that it's not such a crazy concept."

Match.com, another large online dating site, says boomers (which it defines as ages 45-59) are its fastest-growing segment -- they've increased by 350 percent since 2000, now numbering 1.7 million.  Spokeswoman Kristin Kelly says older users tend to be much clearer and more realistic about what they want: "There's no substitute for the wisdom gained with age."

Source: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 16, 2006