The study showed that one in three adults aged between 55 and 64 now knows someone who dates online. Some 28 per cent know someone who has entered into a long-term relationship after first meeting on the internet.
For adults 65 and over, those figures are 21 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
It is thought that older people have embraced online dating because in later years it becomes harder to meet people the conventional ways, such as at work, parties or through friends. The death of a partner or divorce can also leave people single and lonely for the first time in decades.
While the prospect of encountering a divorced or widowed parent while online dating might seem alarming to younger generations, relationships expert Jean Hannah Edelstein said they should not feel embarrassed.
"You should feel proud of your mother for pursuing the romantic life she wants through the use of contemporary channels," she said. "Your mother has definitely had sex before, as demonstrated by your existence, so there's no need to shame her for wishing to do it again."
The study suggests the stigma once associated with online dating has gone - across all ages, 41 per cent know someone who uses it and 29 per cent know someone who has met a spouse or long-term partner that way.
- Daily Mail
