Evidence shows more women are embracing their inner cougar, according to an article in Time this week. Although we here at TBW HQ are not partial to the word ‘cougar’ we totally agree that more and more frequently there are older women dating younger men.
When it comes to dating, there’s an unscientific, but prevailing opinion that older men want younger women and vice versa. Turns out, the opposite may be true for women on the online dating scene. Numbers culled from various dating sites have consistently shown both sexes prefer to date down the age spectrum rather than up.
AYI (Are You Interested?), is one of the largest websites and apps designed to help users find their mates, but it works in an unconventional way. Users allow the app to access their Facebook profile, and people are then are paired based on interests. To sweeten the appeal, AYI also flags any mutual friends the prospective pair share. Users who like what they see ”fave” the profile. If not, they can click “skip.”
AYI pulled data from its 68 million downloads and 20 million Facebook profiles to see which subscribers are making successful matches. It focused in on the 1 million recommended pairings in a specific population of 35,942 users ages 30 to 49. The surprising finding: a woman was five times more likely to show interest in a man who was five years her junior that one who was five years older. If only the men would catch on. Among the 26,434 men ages 30 to 49, 42% wouldn’t even consider a woman if she was older than him. However, if contacted by an older woman, men wouldn’t necessarily turn her down. The data shows that a man is only 22% less likely to respond to an older woman than a younger woman if she initiates contact.
Picture of Halle Berry and her husband Gabriel Aubry, 9 years her junior.
