the convergence of online dating and mobile social networking:
Paid subscription online dating sites like Match.com and Lavalife directly compete with free online social networks for users. In Fall 2008 one developer of social media dating apps reportedly exceeded 15 million users on Facebook alone.
Since about half of Facebook and MySpace members access those sites via smartphones, it follows that online dating also goes handheld. To keep up, dating websites roll out mobile options including hooking up subscribers via SMS.
Phones with Bluetooth ad GPS tracking enable mobile proximity dating (get a signal when a member is in the vicinity). This month a Florida company unveiled a GPS device for digital daters. If a first date goes south, one push of a button summons friends monitoring the user’s location, letting them know a bailout is in order.
