B ack in the day, couples typically met at bars, with those flirty glances eventually progressing into blossoming romances.
Others might have been set-up by friends playing Cupid. Nowadays, however, singletons hit the love jackpot by swiping through a conveyor belt of strangers' faces on dating apps. A mesmerising chart today shows how the likes of Tinder and Hinge have killed off the traditional ways lovers used to meet. In the early s, more than a third of couples originally met through friends. Another 28 per cent were introduced to each other by family members. By the late s, online dating stole the top spot, according to research carried out by social scientists at Stanford University.
As of this decade, internet dating has completely eclipsed all other methods, being responsible for 59 per cent of all relationships. Dating guru Kate Mansfield, who brands herself the UK's premier relationship coach, said that the 'super convenient', low pressure online dating environment is what has made it so popular among today's singles. She said: 'You can swipe from your couch in your pyjamas. It opens up so many more possibilities than just the local bar.
You can chat first and get to know each other a bit before diving in. Ms Mansfield said that app algorithms, which connect potential lovers based on their interests, can mean you find a better match.
Although the seemingly limitless options can be 'overwhelming', Ms Mansfield said. The survey asked around 3, US couples how and when they met their partners. In the s, 20 per cent met through school and 17 per cent at a bar or restaurant. The total for any given period may be above per cent because some responded 'yes' to more than one option. For example, they might have met through family and friends. Meeting through friends remained firmly in first place until the early 80s, when it was edged out by coworkers.
