'Sugar babies' internet dating for cash

(New Zealand Herald)- On SA, the idea is simple: a man who is "rich and successful... single or married" sets up an online profile that reveals the amount in his bank accounts and the monthly allowance he can provide to a willing woman. Amounts range from at least US$1,000 to more than $20,000 (NZ$24025).

"You have no time for games. You are looking to mentor or spoil someone special," says the site.

Men pay $50 a month for an account, plus $1,000 a year for the site to certify his wealth. For the woman, who is ideally "attractive, ambitious and young," membership on the site is free.

"You seek a generous benefactor to pamper, mentor and take care of you, perhaps to help you financially?" asks the site. The couple will meet, dine, travel together - and maybe more. Read more here…

Data matches daters

(Marketing Week)- As the internet dating market continues to grow, online matching services are employing increasingly sophisticated data analysis techniques to find the perfect partner for their users.

Once seen as a geeky activity for the socially awkward, online dating has now become a mainstream part of single life. The sector is booming it is set to be worth £150m by 2014, according to Mintel.

Love itself might be blind but through a combination of improved technology and sophisticated databases, the world’s online dating brands are claiming they can bring well-matched, romantic pairings into sharp focus.

Dating site Match.com already has more than 2 million users. As its numbers have grown, the brand has been forced to develop sophisticated automated systems to manage, sort and pair singles. An important element of this trajectory has been its focus on an improved matchmaking algorithm. Read more here…

Young singles join online search for love

(China Post)- For many young singles in China, Saturday's Chinese Valentine's Day was an urgent reminder for them to get hitched quickly. That in turn prompted more of them to turn to online matchmakers for help.

No longer is the face of such clients only that of a 40-year-old bachelor or spinster; the average age of clients is now much lower. In fact, those under 25 form a sizable chunk of the singles market in China.

Jiayuan — one of the country's largest online matchmaking firms — is no exception. It has close to 19 million active users under the age of 25, or 39.5 per cent of its entire client database.

One reason is the intense competition for love. The number of unmarried men is expected to exceed that of available women by 24 million in 2020, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

And, as more women earn college degrees, their demands increase. Many hope to meet future spouses with good jobs and property. Read more here…

Most online daters over 50 love results

(Jane Glenn Haas)- Only 18 of the 327 of you who responded to my recent survey on online dating were negative about the Internet dating community catering to singles over 50.

Why the surge in online dating interest? OurTime.com, a singles dating site, points out someone turns 50 every seven seconds today, on average. The 50-plus demographic is the fastest growing in the country. It includes 78 million baby boomers, and a whopping 30 percent of them are single.

Single and, for the most part, seeking love, romance and companionship at almost any age.

What is surprising is the number of men admitting to looking for love in all the dating places. Several crowed about meeting a life partner online. Read more here…