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Much like Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools, online dating sites continued to multiply their numbers of users this year. What’s surprising, however, is not the boost in users searching for their soul mates, but rather the age of those doing so.
A recent TIME article addressed the trend, noting that the 50-plus age group is the fastest-growing demographic in the online dating market. According to the article, the amount of Match.com users ages 50 to 65 has increased 89 percent in the last five years.
JDate.com, a dating site for Jewish singles, saw a 40 percent increase in its 50-plus users in just one year. SeniorPeopleMeet.com is the largest site of its kind in the 50-plus demographic, and has seen monthly increases in membership by about 25 percent for the past two years. The "boom in boomers" typically begins in December and lasts throughout January and February. SeniorPeopleMeet.com expects the same spike in older dater sign-ups to occur in 2011.
As incentive, various online dating sites offer free sign-up deals during the holidays to encourage singles to mingle via their database.
