Online dating site gets big Valentine's Day boost

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An online dating site had its highest ever level of activity this week as singles facing a Valentine's Day alone kicked into action.

Yesterday more people signed up to the FindSomeone dating website than any other day since it was founded in 2001, manager Rick Davies said.

"Messaging is also up 30 per cent on last year, and there's been a 16 per cent increase in the number of new members signing up too."

The frenzy of online dating activity was expected to continue through today, he said.

It was people aged between 18 and 35 who were driving online dating activity to record levels.

And while New Year's Eve was likely to to be the loneliest time for young New Zealanders, those over 55 were likely to feel pangs of loneliness on Valentine's Day more, Mr Davies said.

"We've seen the number of older people joining the site leap by 50 per cent on last year - they are clearly motivated by the traditional Valentine's Day focus on romance."