What's the best way to meet someone? Well, a new survey from the Knot, the online wedding brand, found that traditional methods may not be as popular as you think. The Knot 2017 Jewelry & Engagement Study looked at over 14,000 engaged or recently married Americans — asking them questions on everything from how the met to how they planned the wedding. And, in what feels like a huge win for any millennials everywhere, at 19 percent of people, online dating was the most common way people met their spouses or spouses-to-be — that includes those who met through dating apps and dating sites (17 percent), and those who met on social media (two percent).
It's more proof that online matches can turn into real relationships, which really shouldn't come as a surprise. Young people are the most likely online daters and a lot us will know some success stories of people who met on dating apps. It should be about the connection, more than the actual way two people meet. "On the surface, the proliferation of hookup apps might make it seem seem as though romance is dead and all anyone (particularly men) is looking for is sex," relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW tells Bustle. "But once we scratch the surface it seems that people are not that different today from how they always were... If most people try their best to be loyal and monogamous while in a relationship, why should they be any different just because the relationship was started from an app?"
Exactly. Phones are just a de facto way of communicating and getting things done, so of course it's going to be how more and more people date — even people who are looking to settle down. I've gone to more than one wedding of people who met on Tinder (and one of them even had the phrase 'Swipe Right' in Latin on their invitations). It's just becoming more and more the norm.
But online wasn't the only way the people were meeting each other — some of the more old-fashioned methods are still getting some love. Here were the other ways folks meet their spouse-to-be.
1Online (Dating Apps/Site + Social Media): 19%
It's all about the internet. Whether it's good old dating sites or one of the popular dating apps, 17 percent of daters met their spouse that way— add those who slid into DMs and met on social media (two percent, and meeting online takes the cake for the most popular way to meet.
2Through Friends: 17%
The way that many of us thought we would meet someone, myself included, still holds up for tons of people. Seventeen percent of people surveyed met their partner through friends. Whether it's a setup or at a party, your friends can be a game-changer in your love life.
3In College: 15%
I was pretty surprised to hear that 15 percent of people met their other halves at college. Though a lot of people pair up in college, in my experience the relationships don't last that long after — in fact, for me and my friends they mostly imploded pretty quickly. Obviously for these people, these relationships were a lot more successful.
4At Work: 12%
Workplace romances may be tricky, but 12 percent of people met their spouses through work, so it's not exactly uncommon. Once they get past HR, it seems like coworkers are sailing right down the aisle.
There's really not just one way to meet someone these days; people are connecting in so many different ways. If you're single and looking, keep an open mind — there are so many possibilities.
