can this be done by 1pm today?

Authenticity of Seniors in Online Dating Profiles

I. Introduction A. Increasing use of Internet by older adults

1. 1996 = 2%, 2000 = 15%, 2004 = 22% of older Americans online (Fox 2004)

2. Using the Internet for same general purposes as younger persons (Gatto & Tak 2008)

B. Increasing use of online dating sites by Americans 1. 2002 = 15-16 million (Arivdsson 2006; Albright 2007) 2. 2003 = 29 million, 40% of single population in US (Ellison, Heino,

& Gibb 2006) C. Lack of previous study on topic – older adults online dating site use D. Aspect of hyper-honesty in online dating

1. Conflict over how to best present self and attract others while keeping information accurate and truthful (Ellison, Heino, Gibb 2006)

2. Disconcerting aspect of online dating - potential for deception by inaccurate information or dated photos (Couch & Liamputtong 2008)

3. Hyper-honesty – self-disclose more up front and share negative with positive (Baker 2005)

II. Lit Review A. Seniors and Dating

1. Older adults form steady relationships and take dating seriously, but do not necessarily want to marry (Bulcroft & Bulcroft 1991)

2. Older persons date for companionship, emotional confidant, recreational (including sexual) partner (Bulcroft & O’Conner 1986)

3. Number of single older adults expected to increase in the future (Cooney & Dunne 2001)

4. Most widows prefer to remain single, but some engage in romantic relationships outside of marriage (Moorman, Booth & Fingerman 2006)

5. Women are much less likely than men to seek a romantic relationship or desire another marriage after being widowed (Davidson 2001)

6. Widows show diversity in willingness/desire to date men, but are overall resistant to the idea of remarriage (Talbott 1998)

7. Stereotypes of elderly singles are commonly not positive, more research of older adults dating practices is needed to improve (McElhaney 1992)

B. Seniors and Self-Presentation/Authenticity 1. Older people might worry less about social disapproval, thus have

greater likelihood for authenticity or accurate identity representation (George 1998)

2. Older adults feel a tension between aging body and youthful inner self; also feel need to protect sense of self from attacks related to aging by creating social mask (Biggs 1997)

3. Many older women feel a discrepancy between their inside ageless self and their outside aging body, but consider the inside self most important and use it in defining themselves (Hurd Clarke 2001)

4. Older adults feel a continuation of self and identity, see themselves in terms of life experiences rather than age (Kaufman 1986)

References Albright, Julie M. 2007. "How do I Love Thee and Thee and Thee: Self-Presentation,

Deception, and Multiple Relationships Online." Pp. 81-93 in Online Matchmaking, edited by M.T. Whitty, A.J. Baker and I.A. James. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Arvidsson, Adam. 2006. "'Quality Singles': Internet Dating and the Work of Fantasy." New Media & Society 8(4):671-690.

Baker, Andrea J. 2005. Double Click: Romance and Commitment among Couples Online. Cresskill, N.J.: Hampton Press.

Biggs, Simon. 1997. "Choosing not to be Old? Masks, Bodies, and Identity Management in Later Life." Ageing and Society 17:553-570.

Bulcroft, Kris and Margaret R. O'Connor. 1986. "Importance of Dating Relationships on Quality of Life for Older Persons." Family Relations 35(3):397-401.

Bulcroft, Richard A. and Kris A. Bulcroft. 1991. "The Nature and Functions of Dating in Later Life." Research on Aging 13(2):244-260.

Cooney, Teresa M. and Kathleen Dunne. 2001. "Intimate Relationships in Later Life." Journal of Family Issues 22(7):838-858.

Couch, Danielle and Pranee Liamputtong. 2007. "Online Dating and Mating: Perceptions of Risk and Health among Online Users." Health, Risk & Society 9(3):275-294.

Davidson, Kate. 2001. "Late Life Widowhood, Selfishness and New Partnership Choices: A Gendered Perspective." Ageing and Society 21(3):297-317.

Ellison, Nicole, Rebecca Heino and Jennifer Gibb. 2006. "Managing Impressions Online: Self-Presentation Processes in the Online Dating Environment." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 11(2):415-441.

Fox, Susannah. 2004. Older Americans and the Internet. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Gatto, Susan L. and Sunghee H. Tak. 2008. "Computer, Internet, and E-mail use among Older Adults: Benefits and Barriers." Educational Gerontology 34(9):800-811.

George, Linda K. 1998. "Self and Identity in Later Life: Protecting and Enhancing the Self." Journal of Aging and Identity 3(3):133-152.

Hurd Clark, Laura. 2001. "Older Women's Bodies and the Self: The Construction of Identity in Later Life." CRSA/RCSA 38(4):441-464.

Kaufman, Sharon R. 1986. The Ageless Self: Sources of Meaning in Late Life. New York and Scarborough, Ontario: New American Library.

McElhaney, Lori J. 1992. "Dating and Courtship in the Later Years: A Neglected Topic of Research." Generations 17(3):21-23.

Moorman, Sara M., Alan Booth and Karen L. Fingerman. 2006. "Women’s Romantic Relationships After Widowhood." Journal of Family Issues 27(9):1281-1304.

Talbott, Maria M. 1998. "Older Widows' Attitudes towards Men and Remarriage." Journal of Aging Studies 12(4):429-449.