A new study, authored by Karen Fingerman and Susan T. Charles, reveals that relationships get better with age, including friends, family and intimate relationships. Older people are more forgiving, less prone to conflict and better at regulating their emotional responses. This could explain the rise in senior friend finder websites and dating sites that specialize in helping older singles find new friends and connections.
Fingerman, professor of gerontology with Perdue University, and Charles, associate professor of psychology and social behavior with the University of California, have been doing ongoing research into comparing how a senior friend interacts with other friends. Research also went into relationships between older people and younger people, both related and non-related. Their work builds on earlier studies that were published last year and the year before.
This new research comes on the tail of a federally funded study into the genetic anomalies that are found in those who live long, healthy lives. That study was trying to isolate genetic markers that indicate that someone would live to a greater age (100 years), yet remain in relatively good health and have possession of all their faculties.
Scientists identified 150 unique genetic variations that they think can be used to predict whether or not someone could live to be a century old with almost 80% accuracy. Researchers also found three genetic signatures in 40% of those living to be at least 110 years old.
Research will now focus on identifying the specific genes involved and being able to reproduce the findings within other populations. The scientists involved with the work are hoping to come up with new treatments that could extend lifespans.
With people already living far longer than they did, on average, that leaves the older population with a greater importance than ever. As this group grows, markets will continue to develop that focus on the older population, as their needs and wants are usually different from the other demographic groups.
One such market would be with the online dating industry. So far, this industry has focused on the younger people in the 18-50 age range more than any other. But there are a lot more single senior adults than there used to be. Finally, some of the insiders in the industry are realizing this, such as Senior Dating USA (http://www.seniordatingusa.com/).
Senior Dating USA is specifically designed to cater to the needs of those from 40 to 80 years old so members won’t need to scroll through hundreds of twenty-something to find someone that they might be interested in meeting.
The dating industry won’t be the only one to jump into the older market demographic, according to experts. This is an age group that we can expect to expand tremendously with targeted offerings in the next decade, say marketing demographic analysts.