Couples who meet online are more likely to date than marry

More than 60 percent of people who met online are in non-martial relationships, so a minority are married, according to a recent report in Cyberpsychology.

The journal article, published in October 2014, studied couples who met online and offline. Other studies have compared online dating to traditional methods.

The study is titled “Is Online Better than Offline for Meeting Partners? Depends: Are you Looking to Marry or to Date."

It used that previous research and theories drawn from those studies.

Online dating is a big industry. One in ten Americans said they have used online dating or a mobile application on their phones to find partners. 

This study concluded that 49 percent of those people, online daters, were searching for martial relationships.

The majority wanted to date and have a casual companion.

The study pinpointed three main reasons online couple are reluctant to get married.

Online dating provides too many options, so partners often think a better option is available.

Two, online relationships take a longer time to develop. Three, online daters are wary of potential partners.

However, a recent study led by eHarmony.com concluded that one out of three marriages begin online.

Online couples more likely to breakup than the offline counterparts

There are a few advantages to online dating: a wider pool dating poll, the ability to locate people who share similar values and interests and quick intimacy.

But those advantages don’t keep couples who meet online are more likely to stay together.

This study debunked past research. This study concluded couples that meet online are more likely to breakup than people who met offline.

Past studies mistakenly focused almost exclusively on married couples. But many online couples never reached that stage.

Focusing solely on married couples who met online leads to biased results.

This study explicitly acknowledged and studied the breakup rates for non-martial relationships.

Relationship quality and the length of relationship often predict if couples will stay together

The more time couples spend with each other, the more stable the relationship becomes.This leads to more marriages or serious relationships.

Relationship quality is an important factor, as well.

If the relationship was fulfilling and happy couples were more likely to stay together.  

UMD journalism senior doesn't use Safari and instead scrolls through Twitter before class

In America, 10 percent of the population is only able to access the internet at home through smartphones.

With so many Americans smartphone-dependent, they use their phones for important tasks, such as looking up health and job information.

More than half of smartphone users use their phones to do online banking (57 percent) and almost half of users look up real estate listings and places to live on those devices.

They also read the news on their phones.

When Ryan Baillargoen has time to kill before class, he scrolls through Twitter searching for interesting stories.

The senior journalism major at Maryland isn't unique. 

With so many Americans dependent on their smartphone, Twitter is important to news organizations.

Baillargeon prefers Twitter to web browsers, such as Safari.

Baillargoen sometimes finds stories through the Washington Post or New York Times app, too.

Even five years ago, smartphones weren’t as important.

In spring 2011, 35 percent of Americans had a smartphone. Now, 64 percent of Americans have a smartphone.

Many of them get their news through Twitter, like Baillargoen. 

UMD journalism senior prefers Twitter and other mobile apps over web browsers on mobile phone

With smartphones becoming more omnipresent, the public is more reliant than ever on their phones. 

One in ten Americans can only access the internet at home through their smartphones. Even people who do have broadband in their house often use their smartphones for important tasks, such as looking up health and job information. More than half of smartphone users use their phones to do online banking (57 percent) and almost half of users look up real estate listings and places to live on those devices.

With so many Americans smartphone-dependent, mobile apps are important to news organizations. Apps are developed by organizations. When people click on an app they are redirected to an organization’s content. 

Senior journalism major Ryan Baillargoen prefers apps to web browsers, such as Safari, when he’s consuming news on his phone. While he often reads news on his phone before class or when he’s on the go, Baillargeon said he rarely, if ever, goes to Safari and types a news organization’s website url into the browser. Instead, he looks for links on Twitter or interesting stories on the Washington Post or New York Times. Baillargeon, a situational user, will click on a story if he’s intrigued by the headline or tweet.

Even five years ago, smartphones weren’t as important. In spring 2011, 35 percent of Americans had a smartphone. Now, 64 percent of Americans have a smartphone as the younger generation is increasingly reliant on the small devices.