Peak Dating Ages

[yogi]

In 2018 there is an enormous amount of interest in dating apps. Eligible singles of all ages use them profusely. That fact lends itself to some interesting survey and research material. Maya Salam, a reporter for the New York Times, decided it would be interesting to try and determine the ages at which men and women peak for the date seeking crowd. It was easy enough to stalk 200,000 people and see what they were up to. It's all public to a large degree. So, she did her homework and came up with the ages at which man and women reach their prime attractiveness to the opposite sex.

Males: 50 years old
Females: 18 years old

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/styl ... n-age.html

[Kellemora]

Now that's interesting Yogi!

[yogi]

It's been known for a long time that older men prefer young women. But, the extremes suggested by the data are a bit surprising. 18 year old women never get more popular, so the data suggests. It takes men quite a few years to reach their prime time. The truly surprising thing I've observed first hand is that some 18 year old females prefer to date a 50 year old man. The explanation that males their own age are not mature enough is consistent. I've heard that rationale expressed almost every time I asked about it. It happens more often than you would think, or more often than I ever thought.

[Kellemora]

Older men usually have their career well established, and therefore provide a more stable environment.
Even so, you don't find too many married to women that much younger than they are.
I would venture to guess, men prefer much more mature women for marriage.
(and the younger outside of marriage).

[pilvikki]

a while back the girls got into this dating thing, but soon found that regardless of looks, the guys all declared being in their late 30's, maybe early 40's. nobody was over 50.

they all looked like models and had great teeth and super jobs. hobbies included classic cars and one had a secret gov job, which meant no leaving the country. a romanian, i think he was.

the kids soon tired of the whole thing.

[yogi]

Not having any personal experience to go by, I have always had this suspicion about dating sites. They are all about one thing, and one thing only. Sex. I have heard a story or two about successful dates leading to long term marriages, but if that is true at all, it is not the norm. Finding a mate these days is done on Instagram, Kik, Snapchat, and the like. Those smartphone apps lean in the same direction as dating sites, but the communications there are direct, in real time, and temporary. Our own dear governor of the state of Missouri got caught using one of them to have an affair with a young lady (who I do not think had reached the age of 18 yet). Dating sites are a thing, but it's not what is happening if you are looking for something serious.

[Kellemora]

Ahem Yogi!

Debi and I met on a dating site, and we just celebrated 17 years of a very happy marriage.
In fact, numerous couples who met on this dating site and got married are still happily married.

There are different kinds of dating websites, some are for swingers, some are for sex, and there are a few out there that are for serious relationships.

Unless you married your high school sweetheart, the chances of finding a long term marriage partner in a bar or nightclub is next to nil. But that is where most couples met before their later divorce.

In fact, one of the studies that was available on our dating website was a study done of divorced couples and where they first met their former spouse. It was mostly bars and taverns, at work, plus a few pool halls and dance clubs were in the mix. There was one listing I wasn't sure what it meant, it was marked Mixers.

[yogi]

We had mixers at that all male high school I attended. Normal people would call them socials or simply dances.

I hear stories like yours from time to time. However, you have to keep in mind that the dating scene 17 years ago was nothing like it is today. I concede that long term relationships do come out of dating sites, even today. Maybe I just hang out with the wrong crowd because many of the stories I hear and read about today do not end up as well as you and Deb. Then too I suspect your moral standards are not exactly "millennial" in nature. It's an "anything goes" world now, and it usually does.

[Kellemora]

True that! Neither Debi or I were ever Wild, even when young.

[pilvikki]

i know people who only dated via dating sites. some are very happy, like my nephew, who has a fabulous spouse now. the first one... not so much.

a swedish g/f uses them, but she's has no luck. she's an odd duck though and her choices have been pretty daft.

if i even think of getting into that, it's like oh dear gods no! so much work...

lessee, my profile would be something like "cranky old broad with health issues, no money, but too many lbs..." etc. yeah, that'd go over well.

[yogi]

I don't know how well your description would go over, but I can nearly guarantee that you would get some responses. That would be particularly true if a photograph were involved. Take a look at some of the pairs roaming about in the wild. You have to wonder what the attraction is, but there IS an attraction. There is hope for you, should you care to pursue it.

[Kellemora]

Don't kid yourself Pil.
One of the gals on the site I used, read something like, "Short and Pleasingly Plump, homespun middle-aged gal, looking for a serious lifelong relationship with Mr. Right."
She found her Mr. Right and probably married about 12 to 15 years by now. I see them online every once in a while.

[pilvikki]

for one, i'd not get married, ever. i would like to have someone to roam about with, do projects, go to dinner etc. but that's about it.

not gonna happen.

oh well.

[yogi]

So ... you're looking for an escort, are ya? Too bad I'm not into French food that much

[pilvikki]

you know what, you're right!

as for the french cuisine... a lot of empty talk, and very disappointing indeed. give you an example; i had a great, memorable salad, in paris, 3 yrs ago.

[yogi]

I've been to French restaurants here, and they all served good food. None of it, however, was what I'd call memorable. On the other hand, they do make the best cookware in the world as far as I'm concerned.

[pilvikki]

agreed on that!

and the wines are ok, too, and cheap, lol!

[yogi]

I stopped drinking per se many decades ago. Wine is included in many of the meals I prepare but the Italian ones seem to show up more often. I do a braised short ribs with Cabernet Sauvignon, but the French versions are fairly expensive. I don't need anything too fancy for cooking.

[pilvikki]

i usually have a bottle of semi sweet white on the go, but sometimes i forget about it and it turns to vinegar. but no worries, about $3-5 will buy me another fine vintage.

[yogi]

They say to only cook with wines you would actually drink. For me that means I'd never cook with wine. I use vermouth as a white wine and Chianti for red dishes. The braises can be anything, but typically it's in the $10-$12 per liter range.