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Men over 50 who find themselves single again shouldn',t jump into the dating pool until reading these eight helpful insights into what to do and not to do in today',s dating scene. The Man's Guide to Dating After 50. 8 things to know if you want to get back in the game.
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by Michael Castleman, AARP. En español │After 20 years, you're single again and, heaven help you, on the brink of dating. Uh-oh! How should you begin? Maybe call that old high school flame? Approach that work colleague you always thought was kinda cute? Sign up for an online dating site? And once you do score a date, what should you expect in terms of s-e-x? Brooke Pennington/Getty Images. These eight insights will make it all easier. 1. Some things don't change. It's always been challenging to meet women. Even with dozens of dating sites, it still is. Use the classic dating strategies: introductions through friends, blind dates, meeting through activities (work, recreation, religious, etc.), and plain old serendipity. Tell everyone you know that you're interested in dating. Ask to be fixed up. Get involved in activities you enjoy. Through them, you'll probably meet women who also enjoy them, women who might become friends — and eventually, maybe more. 2. The numbers are on your side. It's not two girls for every boy," like the Beach Boys sang, but demographics trend that way. First, the bad news: Men die younger than women. The good news: As the decades pass, women increasingly outnumber men, which subtly works in your favor. For every 1,000 births, by age 50, women outnumber men 954 to 920, according to a 2009 U.S. statistical report. At 65, it's 871 to 791. So the odds are in men's favor — and women know it. That's one reason why Betty and Veronica no longer sit by the phone waiting for Archie to call. If a woman is interested in you, she'll probably initiate contact. Related. 3. Google yourself . Women will, so you better know what they'll find. Try to correct misinformation, or at least be prepared to prove that you're not the escaped serial killer who shares your name. And while you're at it, make sure your Facebook page won't raise eyebrows. 4. Dating sites have advantages . One is that you cast a wide net. Tip: Upload smiling photos. Photos increase men's response rate 40 percent — for women, photos triple it! Another is that profiles provide good icebreakers. Beyond saying, "You're really cute and you live near me," you can add that like the woman you're contacting, you also play tennis and enjoy jazz. 5. Dating sites have disadvantages. Some of the members are flakier than piecrust. They seem interested, but after a few e-mails, they disappear. Or their phones are disconnected. Or they stand you up. Why? Who knows? One theory is that many are not single. They're coupled but bored, and hope to reassure themselves that they're still attractive by hooking men like you. What's more, profiles often lie. One study found that on average, people claimed to be an inch taller than the national average. Women said they weighed 20 pounds less than average. Most claimed to be "more attractive than average" — 72 percent of women, 68 percent of men. And 4 percent said they earned more than $200,000 a year, while less than 1 percent of Internet users actually do.
Men over 50 who find themselves single again shouldn',t jump into the dating pool until reading these eight helpful insights into what to do and not to do in today',s dating scene. The Man's Guide to Dating After 50. 8 things to know if you want to get back in the game.
ENTER TO THE SITE
by Michael Castleman, AARP. En español │After 20 years, you're single again and, heaven help you, on the brink of dating. Uh-oh! How should you begin? Maybe call that old high school flame? Approach that work colleague you always thought was kinda cute? Sign up for an online dating site? And once you do score a date, what should you expect in terms of s-e-x? Brooke Pennington/Getty Images. These eight insights will make it all easier. 1. Some things don't change. It's always been challenging to meet women. Even with dozens of dating sites, it still is. Use the classic dating strategies: introductions through friends, blind dates, meeting through activities (work, recreation, religious, etc.), and plain old serendipity. Tell everyone you know that you're interested in dating. Ask to be fixed up. Get involved in activities you enjoy. Through them, you'll probably meet women who also enjoy them, women who might become friends — and eventually, maybe more. 2. The numbers are on your side. It's not two girls for every boy," like the Beach Boys sang, but demographics trend that way. First, the bad news: Men die younger than women. The good news: As the decades pass, women increasingly outnumber men, which subtly works in your favor. For every 1,000 births, by age 50, women outnumber men 954 to 920, according to a 2009 U.S. statistical report. At 65, it's 871 to 791. So the odds are in men's favor — and women know it. That's one reason why Betty and Veronica no longer sit by the phone waiting for Archie to call. If a woman is interested in you, she'll probably initiate contact. Related. 3. Google yourself . Women will, so you better know what they'll find. Try to correct misinformation, or at least be prepared to prove that you're not the escaped serial killer who shares your name. And while you're at it, make sure your Facebook page won't raise eyebrows. 4. Dating sites have advantages . One is that you cast a wide net. Tip: Upload smiling photos. Photos increase men's response rate 40 percent — for women, photos triple it! Another is that profiles provide good icebreakers. Beyond saying, "You're really cute and you live near me," you can add that like the woman you're contacting, you also play tennis and enjoy jazz. 5. Dating sites have disadvantages. Some of the members are flakier than piecrust. They seem interested, but after a few e-mails, they disappear. Or their phones are disconnected. Or they stand you up. Why? Who knows? One theory is that many are not single. They're coupled but bored, and hope to reassure themselves that they're still attractive by hooking men like you. What's more, profiles often lie. One study found that on average, people claimed to be an inch taller than the national average. Women said they weighed 20 pounds less than average. Most claimed to be "more attractive than average" — 72 percent of women, 68 percent of men. And 4 percent said they earned more than $200,000 a year, while less than 1 percent of Internet users actually do.