Research & Reference
- Dating and Relationships in the Digital AgeFrom distractions to jealousy, how Americans navigate cellphones and social media in their romantic relationships. This report presents information regarding the impact of digital technology on people's lives and romantic relationships in the United States.
- Love in the U.S.This Statista Dossier presents data on love in the United States. The first chapter gives an overview on belief in love, and marriage rates. Afterwards, this dossier focuses on dating, in particular online dating, relationships, and Valentine's Day in the United States.
- Online dating in the United StatesThis dossier presents a range of statistics and facts about online dating in the United States. It presents a demographic profile of online dating users as well as some common attitudes and beliefs regarding dating sites and apps.
Blog Posts from Boundaries in Dating
Boundaries Blog
Read more articles about dating, marriage, and healthy relationships from the authors of Boundaries in Dating and Boundaries.
- Boundaries in Dating: Beware When Opposites AttractSetting wise boundaries in dating becomes more important as two people feel more attracted to one another, especially when they're opposites in personality. However, one reason people are initially drawn to an individual with opposite traits is a pretty healthy one. It is that we are drawn to those who possess what we do not, so that we can internalize and own that trait for ourselves. This is a good thing, as that is how God designed the growth process. However, dating is not a good arena in which to develop oneself in a specific and important aspect of growth.
- Eight Steps to Avoid Falling in Love Too FastRelationships grow in a healthy manner only as they undergo experiences, and there is no shortcut to experiences. In other words, we only "know" each other to the extent that we have experience with each other. We can know facts about the person we are dating: their friends, job, hobbies, and so forth. But that doesn't mean we "know" them as a person. That kind of "knowing" cannot come from reading a file on someone.
- How to Cure Your Fear of Being AloneIf you must be dating or married in order to be happy, you are dependent, and you will never be happy with whatever person you find. The dependency will keep you from being selective enough to find the kind of person who will be good for you, or will keep you from being able to fully realize a relationship with a healthy person. If you are afraid of aloneness and abandonment, you cannot use the love of people who are truly there until you deal with your own fears.
- Why Are Boundaries in Dating Important?Dating does have its risks. By its very nature, dating is experimental, with little commitment initially, so someone can get out of a relationship without having to justify himself much. Putting lots of emotional investment into a relationship can be dangerous. Thus, dating works best between two responsible, mature people.
- Why Do Nice People Attract Jerks?The question that many people wonder is "If I'm nice, then why do I keep attracting such jerks?" They think that something is inherently wrong with them, and sometimes they can begin to get quite hopeless over their chances of finding good friends, someone good to date, or building a great marriage.
Perspectives
The Sacred Search
What if you stopped looking for a "soul mate" and started looking for a "sole mate"--someone who will live out with you the great purpose of God? What if dating isn't about finding "the one" but making a wise choice so you can better serve the One who loves you most? What if God didn't design relationships to make you happy but to make you holy? In The Sacred Search, Gary Thomas will transform the way you look at romantic relationships. Whether you are single, dating, or engaged, Gary's unique perspective on dating will prepare you for a satisfying, spiritually enriching marriage even before you walk down the aisle. As Gary reminds us, a good marriage is not something you find--it's something you make.
Eight Dates
Strengthen and deepen your love with a fun, ingenious program of eight life-changing conversations--on essential topics such as money, sex, and trust--from two of the world's leading marriage researchers and clinicians. Navigating the challenges of long-term commitment takes effort--and it just got simpler, with this empowering, step-by-step guide to communicating about the things that matter most to you and your partner. Drawing on forty years of research from their world-famous Love Lab, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman invite couples on eight fun, easy, and profoundly rewarding dates, each one focused on a make-or-break issue: trust, conflict, sex, money, family, adventure, spirituality, and dreams. Interactive activities and prompts provide motivation to stay open, stay curious, and, most of all, stay talking to each other. And the range--from the four skills you need for intimate conversation (including Put Into Words What You Are Feeling) to tips on being honest about your needs, while also validating your partner's own emotions--will resonate, whether you're newly together or a longtime couple looking to fortify your bond. You will discover (or rediscover) your partner like never before--and be able to realize your hopes and dreams for the love you desire and deserve.
Love That Lasts
In Love That Lasts, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus > Religion Jefferson Bethke and his wife, Alyssa, expose the distorted views of love that permeate our culture and damage our hearts, minds, and souls. Drawing from Jeff's "prodigal son" personal history and from Alyssa's "True Love Waits" experience, the Bethkes point to a third and better way. Blending personal storytelling with biblical teaching, they offer readers an inspiring, realistic vision of love, dating, marriage, and sex. Young people today enter adulthood with expectations of blissful dating followed by a romantic, fulfilling marriage only to discover they've been duped. They learned about love and sexuality from social media, their friends, Disney fairy tales, pornography, or even their own rocky past, and they have no idea what healthy, lifelong love is supposed to be like. The results are often disastrous, with this generation becoming one of the most relationally sick, sexually addicted, and divorce ridden in history. Looking to God's design while drawing lessons from their own successes and failures, the Bethkes explode the fictions and falsehoods of our current moment. One by one, they peel back lies such as, the belief that every person has only one soul mate, that marriage will complete you, and that pornography and hook-ups are harmless.
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
More than a million couples can't be wrong! And with this updated edition of their award-winning book, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott help you launch lifelong love like never before. This is more than a book--it's an experience, especially when you use the his/her workbooks filled with more than 40 fun exercises. Get ready for deeper intimacy with the best friend you'll ever have. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, in more than 15 languages, is the most widely used marriage prep tool in the world. Uncover the misbeliefs of marriage Learn to communicate with instant understanding Discover the secret to resolving conflict Master the skills of money management Get your sex life off to a great start A compelling video, featuring real-life couples, is available, and with this updated edition Les and Leslie unveil the game-changing SYMBIS Assessment. Now you can discover how to leverage your personalities for a love that last a lifetime. Make your marriage everything it is meant to be. Save your marriage--before (and after) it starts.
Relationship Goals
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A candid, inspiring guide to finding lasting love and sustaining a healthy relationship by getting real about your goals--based on the viral, multi-million-view sermon series about dating, marriage, and sex "No matter where you are and no matter what stage of life you are in, Relationship Goals will be a game changer."--Levi Lusko NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY COSMOPOLITAN Realer than the most real conversation you've ever heard on the topic, Michael Todd's honest, heartfelt, and powerful teaching on relationships has already impacted millions of people in all seasons of life around the world. Now, in Relationship Goals, Michael tells his own story of heartache and healing, unpacks explosive truths from God's Word, and tells it to you straight to help you win at relationships in every part of your life. Where did the idea for relationships come from in the first place? Does God really care who I hang out with? Is it even possible to avoid relational train wrecks? From his plan for intentional dating in the age of social media to handling break-ups well to doing family instead of just being in a family, Michael tackles the questions we all have about relational success. As he candidly examines our most common pitfalls in relationships and the start-today ways to get past them, Michael helps you align your longings with God's awesome desires for your life. Now, that's a good relationship goal.
Sex, Dating, and Relationships
Answering questions like "How far is too far?" the authors articulate a biblical theology of dating aimed at persuading a new generation of Christians to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.
Boundaries in Dating
Boundaries in Dating offers illuminating insights for romance that can help you grow in freedom, honesty, and self-control as you pursue a healthy dating relationship that will lead to a healthy marriage. Dating can be fun, but it's not easy. Meeting people is just one concern. Once you've met someone, then what? What do you build? Nothing, a simple friendship, or more? How do you set smart limits on physical involvement? Financial involvement? Individual responsibilities? Respected counselors, popular radio hosts, and bestselling authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend apply the principles described in their Gold Medallion Award-winning Boundaries to matters of love and romance. Helping you bridge the pitfalls of dating, Boundaries in Dating unfolds a wise, biblical path to developing self-control, freedom, and intimacy in the dating process. Boundaries in Dating will help you to think, solve problems, and enjoy the journey of dating, increasing your abilities to find and commit to a marriage partner. Full of insightful, true-life examples, this much-needed book includes such topics as: Recognizing and choosing quality over perfection in a dating partner How to ensure that honest friendship is one vital component in a relationship Preserving friendships by separating between platonic relationships and romantic interest Moving past denial to deal with real relational problems in a realistic and hopeful way . . . and much more! Plus, check out Boundaries family collection of books dedicated to key areas of life - marriage, raising kids, parenting teens, and leadership. Workbooks and Spanish editions are also available.
Statistics on Reasons for Online Dating
- Statista This link opens in a new window
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Statista provides quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.. This database provides quantitative data and original source materials on thousands of statistical datapoints.
