Think a date wrote you off after the first five minutes of your first date? You many be right.
It's Just Lunch, the online dating site for "busy professionals," teamed up with American Way (that magazine tucked into every American Airlines chair) to get into the mind of online daters.
The 2,772 responders answered questions about how many dates they go on a year, where they meet these singletons and how long into the dating dance before they know for sure there isn't a future. That kind of stuff. 5 Can't-Lose Dating Tips
While some of the results were pretty par for the course (you'll never guess it, but women care more about a man's income then the reverse) others, like how long (in minutes) before some instinctively know that they won't call, were disheartening.
We wanted to hop in bed, pull up the covers and read Cathy comic strips. How Saying 'No' Will Help You Find Love
For instance, 66 percent decide within 30 minutes of a first date if they want a second or not. Wow, a half-hour? You've barely knocked out the first cocktail and finished an appetizer at that point. Seems a bit premature.
Twenty percent of the 16-39 age group are super hardcore and ready for the check after five minutes. Five minutes! Which, we guess, would make sense in extreme cases where the person waltzes in looking nothing like his/her pictures or sits down and immediately spews obscenities. Indeed, 54 percent say "lack of physical attraction" is the reason they want to bail, followed closely by "lack of personality" at 48 percent.
On the flip side, it was refreshing to see that these survey-takers weren't into wasting anyone's time. Over 60 percent knew within the two to four dates whether they wanted to see where things may lead. Ah, yes. Makes perfect sense. Who hasn't fallen victim to the mystery of the disappearing date after outing numero tres?
Perhaps most importantly, how often do these people actually date (as opposed to just fill out surveys about dating)? Not as often as one would think—37 percent, the largest group, went on five or fewer dates annually.
It's Just Lunch President, Irene LaCota, spoke to the picky nature of daters in today's seemingly opportunity-strewn world: "In today's society, we're so used to both demanding and getting instant information, that we've become a bit impatient and closed off, sometimes to our own detriment."
~YourTango.com
