In our 2011 Dating Trends survey we asked singles: “When you are on a first date, what thought is going through your head?” We received an unexpected result: not only did men and women have different top answers, but the first choice given by 47% of men, “Could we have a relationship together?” was one that in the past would have seemed more typical of women. Instead, women’s top answer, given by 50% of those polled, was the less stressful “Do I want to see him again?” Our Dating Trends surveys are beginning to show that men and women are becoming more alike in their dating habits and in some areas, they’re beginning to trade places. Another area where men and women are becoming more alike, especially over the last seven years, is in how fast they decide on a first date whether or not they want to see someone again. In 2004, there was a huge disparity, where 79% of men took fifteen minutes or less--and 64% of women took an hour or more! In 2011, 60% of men and 55% of women take twenty minutes or less. Unfortunately these results are not surprising. We are so used to demanding and getting instant information that we are beginning to become impatient and closed off, sometimes to our own detriment.
So what should we do? Maybe we all should slow down a bit when meeting someone for the first time. Give the relationship time to develop.
