It might be so hard to date in the Big Apple because New Yorkers may be just superficial.
That’s according to The Matchmaking Company which found residents of the Empire State are among the pickiest daters out there.
In a survey amongst online daters, nearly 40% of New Yorkers admitted to “turning a cold shoulder” to unattractive dating profiles.
The West Coast was no different either. California daters boldly confessed that physical appearance is a big factor for them when playing the field.
Along with California, Texas and Pennsylvania were among the choosiest states when looking for the one, with over half of online daters in those states exercising greater selectivity in the digital realm than in real life.
“From extensive vetting processes to impossibly high standards, the digital quest for love is a landscape rich with possibilities but also fraught with pitfalls,” researchers said in their study.
So even though there’s an endless amount of potential partners on dating apps, and you could be just one swipe away from love, America’s digital dating habits overall are to blame for unlucky singles.
Among the 1,942 US daters surveyed, nine out of 10 self-identify as a picky swiper and a significant 20% have exceptionally high standards for a potential partner.
But the vanity factor isn’t the only judgment people make.
Researchers also asked poll-takers their criteria for potential matches and deal breakers/stereotypes — and the results uncovered some surprising behaviors.
Stereotypes influence the swiping decisions of many, with a “concerning” 29% of all users admitting to swiping left on potential matches based on stereotypes.
The trifecta of good looks, an engaging bio and shared interests determine whether 28% of people swipe right. The top reasons to swipe left are perceived unattractiveness (32%), mismatched bios (21) and no shared interests (20%).
Daters in the Big Apple and Ohio are quick to judge, with people in both states having instant deal-breakers for their potential partners. However, Ohioans take it to the next level as 40% have precise criteria they look for while swiping.
In fact, out of all users, one in four will only swipe right on profiles that exactly match their “type.”
In total, over 25% of dating app users have a strict list of “must-haves” that a profile must have before they even think about swiping right. Nine in 10 have “immediate” deal breakers and 23% have a lengthy list.
“This level of scrutiny, while understandable, also contributes to the growing sense of exhaustion among users,” the researchers said.
Pennsylvanians are a hard crowd to please, with daters debating on over 30 profiles before swiping right while not compromising on selectivity. Washingtonians are also picky with one in 10 rarely swiping right.
Those in Georgia and New Jersey are pretty selective though, with more than 20% of online daters holding “sky-high” standards. Meanwhile, one in five Georgians as well as Floridians are patient and waiting for their perfect match.
“This reluctance to meet might be related to another surprising statistic: more than half of users believe in the notion of an ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect’ match,” the report said. “A staggering 14% are even holding out exclusively for this fairy-tale outcome, possibly setting themselves up for disappointment and contributing to a trend of dating app fatigue.”
Whether or not a match even leads to dialogue also could be dependent on where you live. Only 38% of daters in Illinois don’t engage after matching, but one in six in New Jersey will match but not initiate a conversation.
“After overcoming their initial pickiness and swiping right, many online daters brace themselves for the unpredictable rollercoaster of matching and ghosting that often follows,” the report said.
“Interestingly, nearly half of dating app users find themselves landing a match only sporadically, and a small but noteworthy 9% hardly ever experience the joy of mutual attraction.”
However, men and women experience online dating differently. Thirty-four percent of men often find it hard to get a match online compared to 23% of women.
“When women do match, one in ten will quickly move on if they don’t feel an immediate connection, underscoring the importance of that ever-elusive ‘spark,'” the researchers concluded.
Women are likely to have more deal-breakers than men and are twice as likely to have a long list of deal-breakers (30% compared to 15%).
The researchers explained, “Many of us navigate this world with high standards and checklists, perhaps sometimes to our detriment. While selectivity may lead us closer to a ‘perfect match,’ it’s clear that too much of it can also deter meaningful connections and contribute to dating fatigue.”