Easy Guide to Modern Day Dating Behaviors
According to a recent study, the top five cities in the United States for finding love are Denver, Houston, New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
You may be at a disadvantage if you are living in Sacramento, Tampa, Detroit, Philadelphia, or Cleveland because the results indicated that they are the most difficult cities to find a potential dating partner.
According to the survey, the sexiest and best looking people in the United States can be found in Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Phoenix, and Miami. Cleveland, Detroit, Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis came in at the opposite end of the scale with the lowest rankings.
The survey recently conducted by Waggle Dance Marketing Research and commissioned by Bacardi Limon Flavored Rum reveals the ins and outs of dating and flirtation behaviors, party attitudes and relationship tips.
Bacardi recently launched its fun and flirty “Where Will It Go?” campaign and was interested in discovering the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of modern day courting. In addition, it has joined with Brody “The Luv Coach,” spokesperson for Match.com and AOL Black Voices, to give her expert opinion on the findings.
For the study, 1,003 men and women, ages 21-34, were surveyed nationwide.
The study revealed that women are more interested in frequenting bars to socialize with friends while men go out to aggressively look for a potential partner.
So where is the best place to meet your potential soul mate? 38% of men believe the best place to find a date is at a bar or club, while 44% of women believe that the best way to find a date is through a friend.
“Having a close friend recommend a potential partner is the safest way to date,” says Brody. “Your friends are the ones who know you best and are the perfect source for suggesting and introducing you to a compatible partner.”
Most men and women believe that there are rules of bar-etiquette that they personally follow. Two thirds of these respondents believe that 2-3 seconds of eye-contact is the perfect length of time before approaching someone.
About half of these respondents say they would never approach someone that they knew was in a relationship.
Although social media usage is on the rise, the study showcases that platforms like Facebook are not important factors to those respondents involved in the dating process.
Results stated that people in Phoenix, Tampa, Boston and Atlanta are the least “social-networking savvy,” while cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco are the most adept.
And 40% of respondents said that they would not care if they were immediately sent a “friend request” on Facebook by someone they just met. However 31% thought it was flattering and 28% thought it was “creepy.”
An interesting find is that a majority of the respondents who felt that this was “creepy” were from Washington D.C.
“Social networking sites are a great tool to utilize when looking for a potential mate. These sites can expand your social community and connect you with people in your area who share similar interests and common goals,” says Brody.
“Understanding and utilizing these platforms can greatly increase your chances of meeting a potential mate.”
A small 22% of respondents said that they have sent a picture of someone they would like to meet to their social network for immediate feedback.
A surprising result stated that pick-up lines are becoming a thing of the past. A mere 26% of men and 15% of women use pick up lines when they approach a potential dating partner.
Half of the respondents feel that being yourself and having an honest conversation with a potential dating partner is the best approach. However, over 80% of those who do use pick up lines believe that they work.
“Most people perceive those who use pick-up lines as having poor social skills and a desperate attitude,” says Brody. “It is difficult to connect with a pick-up line.”
Some examples of the most frequently used pick up lines include “If this bar is a meat market, you must be prime rib”; “Is your mom a thief? Because she stole the stars and put them in your eyes”; “If I told you that you had a nice body would you hold it against me?”; “Are you from Tennessee because you’re the only 10 I see.”
The survey additionally found that women and men differ on the type of person they typically date. Women are more likely to be interested in older, wiser and wealthier men while men are more likely to be attracted to younger women who have no strings attached.
The majority of women in the survey believe that personality is the most attractive element in the opposite sex while men tend to believe that facial appearance and physique are the most appealing traits.
Men and women also have very different opinions when it comes to hooking up. When asked how long they typically wait before hooking up with their date, half of women responded that two months is the appropriate amount of time while half of men say anywhere between two drinks and two dates.
Men are also significantly more likely to believe in one night stands than women. However, about half of the men who believe in one night stands have not had one in the last 12 months.
“Men and women’s attitudes differ because of their short and long term goals. Many individuals wait a period of time before becoming sexually intimate because they are concerned with building their partner’s trust and respect,” says Brody.
“If an individual is not looking for a serious relationship, then they will seek out short term dating options or one night stands to fulfill their emotional needs.”
The survey findings were released Tuesday, Sept. 21.
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. is the United States import and distribution arm of one of the world’s leading spirits and wine producers.
Waggle Dance Marketing Research LLC conducts consumer surveys using a proprietary system of psychometrics, which matches the personality profile of consumers with the imagery and perceptions of brands.
