The dating world can be intimidating for everyone. The intimidation factor becomes even more prominent when crossing a certain age barrier.
As a 50-year-old relatively new to online dating, you’d have a negative impression of online dating. You would probably have heard horror stories of first dates gone wrong and people coming across potentially dangerous individuals.
However, the reality of online dating is starkly different from the negativity that social circles brew regarding it.
Senior citizens aged 50 and above can also enjoy the ups and downs of online dating.
In this article, I look at how online dating works for people over 50, list the best four dating websites for people over 50, and give some tips they can follow.
Does Online Dating in Your 50s Work?
Online dating can feel catastrophic and overwhelming to people over 50. Nothing excites you as much when you have a lifetime of experiences behind you.
Online dating can be fun and riveting for young adults, but it is a different ballgame for older adults over 50.
However, we believe there is no harm in connecting with someone and chatting with them online. The online world of dating is a sea of potential. You can match yourself up with people your age, older than you, or younger than you.
You can turn into a sugar daddy or cougar or, better yet, attract people your age. The results are better than the strut you currently face.
The fact is that online dating works for all age groups. Online dating isn’t restrictive in terms of age. However, it requires a specific mindset or an openness to other experiences. As a person over 50, you need to be open to experiences like the adventure of dating someone in a different age class and feeling like a young man in love.
Why Is Dating So Hard in Your 50s?
Do you remember that when you were young, dating was about going to the mini-golf court or heading to the movies? Well, how badly do you want that time of your life to come back?
But life goes on, and the cycle keeps moving.
If you are dating in your 50s, you will come across many challenges, including:
- Lack of Confidence: Dating in your 50s comes with many complications, including a lack of confidence. Your stomach rumbles before a date; your hands shake as you go for a handshake, and you have the jitters.
- Pressurizing Yourself: lack of confidence can force you to pressurize yourself and set unrealistic expectations. Be smooth and stay calm.
- Baggage: Perhaps the biggest complication of dating as an older person is that you have baggage. The baggage you and everyone else bring must be handled with care and respect.
- Emotionally Drained: Just like your physical self, your emotions are tired after the first 50 years of your life. You don’t feel the courage to fall blindly in love as you did previously.
The Best Dating Sites for Over 50s Looking for Love
Here are some of the best dating sites for people 50 and over. Run through them and find your other half:
eHarmony
eHarmony ranks among the best sites for senior citizens to find true love. eHarmony is safe from the weirdness of one-night stands and casual dates and allows you to connect with someone you like.
The dating app comes with a compatibility matching system, which can pair you up with people near you with the same compatibility rating.
Match.com
Match.com is quite the hit with senior citizens over 50. The application comes with photos and helps simplify the “matchmaking” process.
You can easily find a match by filtering the age meter and location. You can join groups for singles, gay singles, divorced, single parents, and much more. The categories set the record straight immediately.
OkCupid
OkCupid has been around for over 18 years and is used by over 50 million users. You can join the dating platform today and answer some simple questions.
SeniorMatch
SeniorMatch makes matching with people their age easier for senior citizens over 50. The platform is 19 years old and is meant to target a specific niche.
You can also get a premium membership on the platform to kickstart convos and get the ball rolling.
You also have the mainstream options of Tinder and Bumble, which have been discussed in separate sections below.
Is It Possible to Meet Someone in Your 50s?
If you are over 50 and have nothing to write in your diary, here are some tips you can implement to get back on the dating scene and meet new people.
Revisit Past Hobbies
Remember all the hobbies and passions you dropped because of the monotony of life? Well, it is time you picked them back up.
Hobbies can be a good way to socialize with people and find someone special without being bored or tired for that matter. You can join that new Jumba class, take your dog out for a walk every day, or be part of a new book club.
The new experience will not only give you a better perspective on life when you so desperately need it but will also open the doors toward a more social life.
People aged 50 and over can have some really thoughtful conversations in a book club, which is why it is always good to join one and be with like-minded people.
Following your hobbies and being yourself will also allow you to meet new people and have new discussions. You might eventually cross paths with someone you like and be able to start dating.
Be Confident About Making the First Move
There will be times when you feel a spark while talking to someone and enjoying their company. Whenever you get such a spark, never make the mistake of missing the opportunity. Make the first move and ask for their number or any other contact mode.
See if they are part of any clubs or societies, which you can join as well. Like-minded people get along well, so the other person will also enjoy talking and communicating with you.
Your confidence should be sky-high, and you should not wait for the other person to make a move. Finding the spark can be difficult as your age rolls by, but if all is handled well, you can make a friend for life.
Be Regular
Whether going on a weekly club meet or a stroll in the park during the evenings, try to be a regular. Once you are a regular, people will start accepting you even more and will converse with you regularly.
People who have been fond of absenteeism all their lives will find being regular difficult, but good friends just don’t come walking by, especially at this age.
You will be required to make an effort from your end to ensure that you don’t end up spending your time on the sofa watching TV all day long.
Invite People
Many of us feel intimidated about inviting people to our homes for dinner. This intimidation has resulted in the death of an age-old custom of regularly inviting people for dinner.
You can revive this custom by inviting a few close friends and then trying it with people you meet regularly.
Inviting them over would start a chain reaction of invitations, where you would get a chance to sit and talk with a few of their friends.
Find Out What Is Happening Locally
Have a keen eye on all that is taking place around your neighborhood. From book fairs to food festivals, have a keen eye for events that could be interesting for your group.
Once you find something interesting, you can let your group know and can plan accordingly in advance.
You can make more friends at such festivals and have a good time with your friends.
More importantly, you will stay in touch with everybody regularly. Otherwise, not meeting regularly could hinder friendships at this stage. So, you should take the lead and plan pertinent meet-ups for your group every once in a while.
Plan a Trip
With no time constraints on your schedule and a good group on your hands, you can plan a trip to explore the beauty of your adjoining areas.
The trip can either be centered on one location, or you can hover across locations to make the most of your time.
The trip will be a great bonding time for everyone in the group, and you will have a good time communicating with each other as you explore beautiful and interesting places you have never seen before.
Moreover, you can also take the lead role by planning everything. The responsibilities will keep you busy and will be a good way to pass the time.
So, book a private coaster and arrange the snacks, so everyone applauds your brilliant management skills.
Your age impacts how you communicate with people, but with the right attitude, you can make your age nothing more than just a number. You can meet new people, converse with them, and live your life as you want.
Is 50 Too Old for Tinder?
Nothing is too old for Tinder. Tinder is one of the most popular dating applications and has foot traffic from all over the globe.
Interestingly, Tinder gives you the option to find someone within your age range. You can see what works for you and make a decision accordingly.
Does Bumble Work for Over 50?
Just like Tinder, Bumble is a dating application for everyone. Bumble works just fine for over-50-year-old citizens as it does for younger people.
Interestingly, Bumble can also help you expand your search to meet people from all over the globe. Better yet, fulfill your life-long dream of talking to a European girl.
What Does a 50-Year-Old Man Find Attractive?
As men grow older, they go through a shift in the things that attract them. The likes and preferences of a 50-year-old man might differ from those of a 20-something-year-old man in love.
Men in their 50s appreciate the following characteristics:
- Honesty: Honesty is the name of the game now. Men in their 50s expect honesty from their women.
- Positivity: So what if you’re old? You don’t need someone to remind you of it every day. Men want positivity and are attracted to a woman with a positive outlook on life.
- No Ex-Drama: All of us have baggage, but what matters is how much that baggage determines our current decisions. Drama with the ex is a no-go for men.
- Common Interests: Men in their 50s are instantly attracted to someone with common beliefs and interests.
Conclusion
You might be okay with living life as a single individual in your 50s, but there is a world of fun and opportunity you are missing out on. Online dating can be fun and can open doors to several prospects.
People aged 50 and above should run through the ideas presented above and add some flavors to their lives.
Spark up the interest and enjoy what’s yours to enjoy.
