Once, you might have kept it secret that you met your spouse on a dating app for fear people would judge you. Yet, for many people, this is now the way to meet. While it can still seem odd to some, you could say the same for approaching a stranger at the bar, going on a blind date set up by a friend or any of the other ways people meet.
While online dating can help speed your search for a partner, new research shows it may also hasten your marriage’s demise.
Research by the Marriage Foundation discovered that couples who married after meeting on dating apps had a 12% chance of divorce within the first three years compared to a 2% chance for those who met through traditional means. By seven years, 17% of the technology-aided couples were divorced, compared to only 10% of those who did things the old-fashioned way.
Why is divorce simpler when your marriage is short?
If you will end up divorcing, in many ways it is better to do so sooner. The longer you are married, the more challenging it will be to undo your marriage. For example:
- Asset division: If you married recently, you would have some joint assets, yet you might not have bought a house together or had the spare cash to make any investments. Couples that have been married for a long time will have accrued more. They may also be entitled to a share of things belonging to one person such as social security benefits or retirement plans.
- Children: While you could have kids straight away, many couples wait a few years. If you only discover you are incompatible after your child is born, you set yourself up for a life together as co-parents. If you separate when childless, you need never see each other again.
Whatever stage you divorce, it will not be easy. Getting help to resolve issues allows you to begin your new life sooner, whether that is one where you swear off dating apps for life or one where you refuse to accept drinks from strangers at bars.
