Online dating has been the talk of the planet for the past year and a half since the start of this global pandemic. The popular way to meet people through the world wide web began in 1995, when the world's first online dating website was launched in the form of Match.com. Not to mention that online dating gained legitimacy with the release of “You've Got Mail”, where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks start a whirlwind romance online. Nowadays, online dating comes in a plethora of digital applications, all the way from Tinder, Thursday, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, and the list can go on and on. What many don’t know is that online dating isn’t just for the typical 18 to 40 age categories,  individuals that are 50+ are now delving into the experience as well. 

“I decided to join an online dating site because I caught an episode of a podcaster whose advice I greatly value. This podcaster posed a question that caused me to examine my life choice to be romantically uninvolved,” said Linda Carbone, a woman who is 50+ years old and holds an occupation as a school teacher. “It appears many people over sixty are willing to participate in online dating, as electricity replaced candles and airplanes replaced trains. Online dating is an efficient, safe means of meeting a partner who could ultimately enhance your life.” 

Carbone mentioned that this specific podcaster stated in a segment, that many of his single friends are alone because they are happy just being so. He then asked Carbone’s age group: ‘but how do you know you are the happiest you could be?’. He then followed by stating that perhaps if they try to open up to the idea of trying a loving relationship with another, their “happy” life may be enhanced tenfold.  

“This bit of advice made perfect sense to me, and I joined an online dating service,” said Carbone. “Hey there’s no such thing as being too happy!”.

Carbone mentioned she wasn’t nervous, but rather excited when she decided to take the leap into online dating. Several of her friends advised her to brace herself for rejection and disappointment. With this being said, Carbone did experience a tad of both, however, it certainly didn’t sour her enthusiasm. 

“By the time you reach your senior years, you take far more in your stride,” she said.

So far, Carbone has met four people in person from her online dating prospects. All of them were interesting, respectful and congenial, however, none of them were ‘the one’. As a senior, Carbone has a better sense of who she is and who she would be able to spend quality time with. For her, a shared sense of humor is paramount, therefore, the search continues. 

For folks 50+ in age looking to hop on the online dating quest, Carbone suggests meeting in public places when it comes to deciding to meet the person behind the screen in real life. Her favorite location is overlooking the New York City skyline on New Jersey’s side where she can have a cup of coffee, share a bench, and chat. Carbone also mentioned she doesn’t feel comfortable expecting her date to pay for much more, which also affords her great insight on his level of generosity.  

“My advice to my fellow online dating participants is that it’s a great venue to find that special person,” said Carbone. “Review their profile and if they share your likes and general values, send them a ‘like’ and if the ‘like’ is mutual, then message back and forth and bump that up to a phone conversation and then an in-person meeting.”

Carbone states that once people engage more, they become savvy at the online dating game. 

Here are some of her top three tips for 50+ folks who are looking to try online dating:

1. Be wary of people who maintain they live in a certain area, but have little knowledge of landmarks nearby. A person who grew up in NYC knows where Central Park is.  

2. Be conscious of grammatical mistakes - it may indicate English is not their first language, or it could be they just suck at sentence structure. How much this matters is a personal choice.  

3. Lastly, never give out personal info such as banking info or social security info. That much, I’m sure you already know.  

“I hope my input has been helpful and wish all participants the best of luck,” she said. “At our core, humans are social beings and striving to widen fellow relationships can only help on our never ending journey to leading our best life.”

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Aida M. Toro is a writer and creator from the New York Metropolitan area who specializes in features, fashion, food, and lifestyle writing. She’s also the creator of an upcoming platform called Stylishly Hungry where she’ll showcase all her favorite things in life, all the way from fashion, food, to people. Not to mention, that she and her platform Stylishly Hungry are represented by Greater Social Club. Aida has been published in Northjersey.com, Hoboken Girl, Hoboken Life, New Face Magazine, Downtown Magazine NYC, NYGal Magazine, and others. She’s also done freelance PR work for DCG Media Group.” Catch her on Instagram @aidamtoro