Dating apps are certainly a quick and efficient way to find, if not true love, at least people to date and get to know to see if there’s a spark there. But can swiping right on an attractive person’s photo really lead to a happy, long-lasting marriage. There’s a new report out suggesting that might not be the case.
According to a Yahoo! News article out this past weekend, a team of researchers looking into the stability and solvency of marriages surveyed more than 2,000 married adults over the age of 30, with some eyebrow-raising findings.
They found that “couples who connected romantically via a dating app were six times more likely to divorce in the first three years of marriage,” whereas “those who were brought together by friends, family and neighbors tended to see their unions last longer.”
Interestingly, the “quality” of the dating app didn’t seem to matter — according to the article, “there was no difference between those who met on sites like Tinder, that are often viewed as being more for shorter-term flings, and others who were connected by relationship-focused alternatives like eharmony.”
The study was commissioned by an organization, Marriage Foundation, whose director contended that “Couples [who met online] are marrying as relative strangers,” and that they “lack sufficient social capital or close support networks around them to deal with all the challenges they face when compared to those who met via friends, family or neighbors.”
While that’s quite the allegation to make, it’s definitely something to ponder if you’re in a marriage in which perhaps you didn’t know each other as well as you should have before you decided to tie the knot. Based on the study, a number of these marriages end quickly, and while there might not be a lot of time to amass assets that then need to be divided, there’s quite possibly the matter of a house to settle, as well as sorting community vs. separate property questions.
Perhaps, more importantly, the study speaks to the importance of friends, families, and even neighbors in helping couples stay together … and in helping people as a support network in times of divorce. When kids are involved in a divorce situation, friends, families and neighbors can help parents navigate what they need to in order to help kids through the divorce process and what comes after.
If you’re looking for someone to help you through your divorce, be it from a marriage where you swiped right or met through less technological channels, the Law Office of Lisa A. Vance can provide the guidance and counsel you need. Our initial consultation with you will provide you the road map to proceed, no matter how long you’ve been married or how difficult it might seem to untie the knot.