New study points to online dating impact on marriage, but more couples still meet offline

Online dating is big and getting bigger. But a new study says 65 percent of couples still meet offline.

The study led by University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo is powered by 19,131 respondents nationwide who married between 2005 and 2012. Here's some overview from the study on the findings:

Results indicate that more than one-third of marriages in America now begin online. In addition, marriages that began online, when compared with those that began through traditional offline venues, were slightly less likely to result in a marital breakup (separation or divorce) and were associated with slightly higher marital satisfaction among those respondents who remained married. Demographic differences were identified between respondents who met their spouse through online vs. traditional off-line venues, but the findings for marital break-up and marital satisfaction remained significant after statistically controlling for these differences. These data suggest that the Internet may be altering the dynamics and outcomes of marriage itself.

The study goes on to note that meeting a parter offline has declined with the dramatic rise of online dating, which is a $2 billion a year business that's growing rapidly. For some people, online dating resembles a second job. However, whether dating online or off, doing your homework on your date can make all the difference in finding happiness vs. heartache. And that's where the free resources and tips from InspectaDate come in.

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