NEWS COPY - by Astrid Hall
Ridiculous haircuts, talking about Love Island and not owning an iPhone are among the reasons picky Brits have been put off a date, a study has found.
Technology has allowed singletons to expand their horizons and meet more potential partners but researchers have found your choice of gadget could see you lose out on love.
While bad breath, chewing loudly and getting drunk are still typical turn-offs, one fifth have pied off a potential love interest because their phone had a different operating system to the one they preferred.
And more than one in 10 judge a date if they have a cracked screen, saying it makes them seem careless, clumsy or cheap as they can’t afford to fix the damage.
A study of 2,000 UK adults also found three in 10 would reconsider a romance if their potential suitor was using an out-of-date phone which didn’t feature WhatsApp or social media apps.
Liam Howley, spokesman for musicMagpie (http://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/), which commissioned the poll, said: “Our research has shown there is so much more people take into consideration now when going on a date.
“It’s no longer solely about common interests and physical attraction but how we engage with the world around us.
“Communication is a key part of any relationship, so it’s understandable couples want to be on the same wavelength when keeping in touch.”
Despite 54 per cent saying they would be put off a romantic encounter with someone who spends lots of time on their phone, almost half agreed it’s now more socially acceptable to use your mobile when on a date.
And just seven per cent would be put off a potential partner who had checked out their social media profile prior to their date.
Three in 10 admitted to screening prospective suitors online, with Facebook the go-to for searches, followed by Instagram and Google.
As a result, nearly two thirds will make up their mind before meeting someone new from a quick Google search or social media stalk.
And just shy of a quarter have ditched the date entirely as a result of their vetting.
The age of digital is truly upon us though, as more adults would rather keep in touch with an admirer through text message, iMessage or WhatsApp than over a good, old-fashioned phone call.
Nearly a quarter reckon you only have to wait a few minutes before replying to a message, but not all messages received from a new love interest are worth receiving, as one third have seen a relationship end over a text or online message.
And one in every four dates will end digitally.
It also emerged more than a quarter think dating is harder now than it was five years ago, with the majority believing Brits are ‘drowning’ in the dating pool because social media has given us too much choice and made it harder to approach people in person.
One in seven said the expense of modern life makes dating more difficult while 15 per cent put it down to adults not knowing phone numbers, ending the days of biting the bullet and asking for someone’s digits.
But, of the fifth who think things are easier than ever before, half said apps and social media give more choice, with six in 10 believing the age of digital has improved the chances of meeting people and keeping in touch.
Liam Howley added: “Smartphones and social media have allowed us to stay more connected, but we’ve seen in our study that it doesn’t necessarily mean everything that we do in our lives has become easier, especially dating.
“For those who want to impress with the latest tech or replace their broken phone, then musicMagpie has a whole host of refurbished devices that’ll help make those first impressions count, and if you’re looking to get rid of your old tech, then musicMagpie can help with that too – simply go to the site, enter your device details and get an instant value.”
For more information on the study, please visit: https://blog.musicmagpie.co.uk/2018/07/09/smartphones-and-dating/.
ENDS
