LONDON, 2nd January 2015: With more Britons than ever expected to go online in search of a date this week, research by match.com has identified what it believes is the defining dating typology of 2015: the SISster (females who are single, instinctive and selective).
Armed only with her mobile phone and a proactive approach to dating, the single woman of 2015 won’t spare her precious time on men seeking fleeting dalliances: 73% say they are looking for more meaningful dates instead of hook-ups, while almost two thirds (64%) say they are now more particular about who they date. SISsters are also more likely to date more than one person at a time (36%, compared to 34% of men) as they weigh up their dating options, but also far more likely to cut a meeting short and trust their gut instincts. 63% of single females say they would leave a date if it was not going well (compared to just 43% of men) and two thirds say they are much more instinctive than in the past when it comes to dating, and won’t spend time on a date with someone if it doesn’t feel right.
For time-poor SISsters, lengthy dinner dates could be a thing of the past, with match.com research findings that the optimum length of a first date for single girls is now just 94 minutes. 49% also said they now favour quicker dates so that they don’t have to stick around if things aren’t going to plan. And at the end of the night, there’s no question of waiting for the man to pick up the tab: although the overwhelming majority of single females still expect men to be chivalrous, 59% said they expect to split the bill at the end of a date.
January is again expected to be the busiest month of the year for online dating, with match.com predicting a 75% increase in sign-ups*. Around 65% of match.com members have used their mobiles to look for dates whilst on the move: around 30% more than at this time last year.
Kate Taylor, match.com comments: “If 2014 was the year of the casual hook-up, then 2015 is the year singles are taking control of their dating lives again. SIssters are on the lookout for something more meaningful and their spare time is increasingly precious. They won’t wait around and spend time on men who don’t fit their exacting standards. Thanks to their increasing tech-savviness, they have the pick of thousands of different men at their fingertips, but if things aren’t going to plan then they’ll be straight out of the door without hesitation.”
Notes to editors:
Research of 2,000 UK singles carried out by OnePoll between 19.12.14 and 23.12.14.
* Increase in sign-ups between December 2014 and January 2015