Do you date people you meet online? Chances are, half of them are lying to you

10 Mar 2016

Are you currently chatting to two people you’ve met through an online dating app? You may not be able to trust both of them, according to a new survey.

In a survey commissioned by iD mobile and conducted by Ignite Research, 1,000 adults were polled about their online dating habits, and the results were not necessarily favourable for those who value honesty in their partners.

The main info to take away from the survey is that just over one in two Irish people (52pc) admits to telling a ‘white lie’ on their online dating profile.

Men and women agree on a lot when it comes to dating, with 71pc saying that personality is the most important factor to them when connecting with someone online.

Tastes diverge from there, though, with 53pc of men going for looks and 46pc of women attracted to intelligence.

Both agree that interests are important, though, which may indicate why both men (33pc) and women (28pc) are likely to lie about their interests.

The survey results go beyond the lies we tell, though.

Boys just wanna have fun

One in five women want to find ‘the one’ through online dating, while men (two in five of them) are more likely to just be out for a little fun.

The survey also highlighted our addiction to smartphones, and to online dating.

Irish people spend, on average, 23 minutes a day – just over two hours and 40 minutes a week – online dating, with one in 10 checking their profile while in a relationship and one in 20 checking their profiles while already on a date.

Lots of winners out there, then.

The nugget that leaped out at us, though, is this: women are more likely than men to lie about their height.

Do with that what you will.

So bear in mind, as you wade through the shallow (geddit?) waters of online dating – be careful who, and what, you believe.

Gigglebit is Siliconrepublic.com’s daily dose of the funny and fantastic in science and tech, to help start your day on a lighter note.

Main image via Shutterstock

Kirsty Tobin was careers editor at Silicon Republic

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