A shocking number of people have landed dates on LinkedIn, survey finds

Is it time to ditch the dating apps and start mixing business with pleasure?

New findings from DatingNews.com showed that LinkedIn has had an unexpected role in modern dating — and is even preferred to dating sites.

It turns out that 61% of respondents aged 35 to 40 have landed dates on the networking app, with those living in San Antonio, Texas (71%), doing so more than anywhere else in the country.

This trend contributes to 52% of all respondents aged 20 to 40, even though the site isn’t at all intended for dating.

Survey respondents shared that networking platforms and social media were the most popular method to meet people for a date, with 52% of men, 51% of women, and 52% of gender-neutral individuals having found a date this way.

“Of course, it’s worth mentioning that LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram aren’t dating apps, so it’s important that you don’t intentionally add someone just to flirt with them,” the survey authors noted. “In fact, many people will be against this and will not welcome flirting they haven’t encouraged.”

Looking at the numbers, taking a chance on a professional networking site might be worth it, but interestingly enough, other professional environments don’t seem to be as popular.

Only 30% of respondents said they have met someone to date at a work or business event, suggesting that whether it’s due to remote work or simply the familiarity of using the internet to date, these people have had more success online.

LinkedIn isn’t the only unusual app people are using to find a potential partner these days.

About one out of five (21%) respondents said they use non-dating apps for meeting people, such as language-learning app Duolingo (24%) or a fitness app (33%).

“Naturally, no one joins a language learning app to find a date. But the numbers demonstrate that we often click with people when we least expect it. Again, maintaining an open mind is key,” the authors wrote.

Of course, dating sites remain an extremely popular way to find a date, especially since they are free and often have people looking for the same things you are.

A little less than half (45%) of respondents said they’ve used a dating site like OKCupid to find a date, with females (46%) using them more than males (42%).

However, younger daters tend to use dating sites less, with just 33% of 20- to 24-year-olds saying they’ve used dating sites compared to half of those between 35 and 40 years old.

It’s noted that the “older” daters might be using these dating sites more because to get the most out of it, users often have to pay to upgrade to a premium package, and younger people might want to put their money elsewhere.

The data suggests that rather than dating sites, the younger daters are resorting to more creative routes of finding someone.

Similarly to dating sites, luxury dating apps can be pricey, which is why data show smaller numbers for the younger cohort (16% have used luxury dating apps) compared to 29% of respondents aged 35 to 40.