Most adults I know have either used a dating website or have considered it. I’ve used a couple of them for brief periods of time. Here are a few things I find interesting about the people using dating sites:

1. A lot of people make exercise a priority in life.
2. There are actually some people who don’t include a profile photo.
3. Most people don’t mention their families, but many do mention their dogs.
4. People don’t necessarily express an interest in getting married.

Right. So the last one probably isn’t surprising. Why would it be assumed that people who use a dating site are looking for marriage? Dating can certainly be a step in the direction of marriage, but marriage isn’t the destination for everyone. While there are sites that focus more on serious relationships, not all dating sites directly ask the participants if they plan to marry.

One site I’m familiar with asks about your relationship status and it also asks if you want to have kids, but not if you plan to get married. I find this interesting. Is the question a no-no? Or, is it assumed that people will date, develop relationships, and the rest will be figured out later?

I truly am curious—I believe there’s more to explore on this topic. It seems to me that our society shies away from making marriage take center stage in the dating arena. It’s as if that would add a bit more pressure to what may already feel like a burden to many.  The burden of failing for some, and the burden of demanding expectations for others. I vote for a new paradigm. But I’m still exploring the old one, so no solutions just yet.