Best Hookup Sites is the process of establishing or cultivating romantic or sexual relationships using computer-based and/or mobile app services designed to match potential partners on the basis of personal preferences, interests or location. Although many people meet their partners in other venues such as social networking sites, chat rooms or through friend introductions, online dating focuses specifically on meeting prospective partners for romantic and/or sexual relationships by matching or perusing a database of profiles for contact. Online dating services vary considerably and include matchmaking, e-mailing or messaging capabilities, and the ability to conduct searches on the basis of age, sex, location or other characteristics.

Making the First Move: How to Start a Conversation in Online Dating

A large proportion of adults report having used an online dating site or app (AARP, 2012). While men are more likely to have tried these sites than women, a similar share of both genders report doing so. Those who are never married or divorced are more likely to use online dating than those who are widowed or living with a partner.

While many users say their experiences with online dating are positive, a number also report negative or problematic occurrences. For example, some report that they feel deceived or that they are at risk of physical harm (Vandeweerd et al., 2016). Other issues that have been reported by online dating users include a lack of meaningful interactions, unwanted sexual messages, and/or people misrepresenting themselves. Due to the atypical nature of the phenomenon and the relatively limited research in this area, defining what constitutes problematic online dating remains somewhat unclear.