Pop quiz! What’s a bigger turn off: bad sex or bad grammar? The answer might actually surprise you. According to a new study from online dating site Plenty of Fish, 58 percent of singles find bad grammar the equivalent of a cold shower.
“Singles are prioritizing conversations over physical attraction,” Shannon Smith, a dating expert at the online dating site, told Metro ahead of the Tuesday release of Plenty of Fish’s second annual “Conversation Nation” survey.
“Conversation Nation” took a deep dive into the state of conversations in the dating habits of 2,000 singles across the U.S. from ages 18 to 55-plus. Focusing on conversations was easy for the online dating site, especially as 74 percent of respondents think that good conversation is the No. 1 sign of great chemistry.
“We’re seeing again and again from user testimonials and data that relationships start with a great conversation. We’re already the leader in conversations with 2.5 million happening every day on our platform, so we’ve been focused on innovating here,” Smith said. “Beyond that, conversation excites people and creates deep connections. For example, ‘Conversation Nation 2018’ found that 60 percent of singles believe you can start falling in love from the very first conversation, which is fascinating!”
Chatty Americans
• 63 percent of U.S. singles say conversation is the best way to identify a compatible partner on a dating app, according to “Conversation Nation 2018.”
• 87 percent found someone more attractive after a conversation.
Politics and other things singles are sick of talking about
“Politics are not becoming any less polarizing for singles as 2018 marches on, but people do not want to broach the subject, despite it being important to them,” Smith said. “On a date, singles would rather talk about their exes, sex or money than politics.”
In fact, 51 percent are tired of Trump talk, while 20 percent are over your specialty diet and 18 percent are rolling their eyes over the “millennials vs. everyone else” storyline.
Gun control, however, is a very important conversation to have, according to 49 percent of those surveyed by Plenty of Fish, though 59 percent wouldn’t start a conversation with someone whose profile promoted a political opinion that was opposite of theirs.
Enough eggplant emojis, everyone
We all love a well-placed emoji, but 75 percent of singles have had enough eggplant as a stand-in for you-know-what, and 49 percent feel the same about the peach emoji.
The top flirty emoji is the winky face, according to 55 percent of respondents, followed by the kissy face.
“Emojis can be cute and funny and certainly add to a conversation — and in some cases be the conversation, but if they’re not your thing, words never go out of style,” Smith said.
Gen-Z’s gripes
A whopping 81 percent of Generation Z, which is comprised of 18- to 24-year-olds, think that good conversations are better than physical attraction.
80 percent of Gen-Zers think that a text being “read” but not responded to is the most annoying text habit. To that end, 31 percent of the generation said they reply immediately to incoming messages.
Hey, NYC singles, these stats are about you
Additional data from Plenty of Fish found some interesting stats about singles in New York City. Take a look:
• 15 percent of singles consider dating someone from another borough a long-distance relationship.
• 77 percent of city singles would not travel more than an hour for a tri-state date, and if they need to take Metro-North, LIRR or NJ Transit to the date, 41 percent would say, “Later, dater.”
• But there’s a silver lining: 56 percent would change their mind if they had a great conversation online.
• 84 percent of singles prefer conversation-fostering dates like dinner, coffee or cocktails over experience-based dates.
• 69 percent of single New Yorkers can last a whole date without checking their phone, while 33 percent take a look within the first hour.
