Meetmyfriend News - New Gallaxy Survey reveals Man Dought is a Man Made Myth!
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New research reveals that the widely reported Australian man drought may be more of a man-made myth than reality, according to research commissioned by meetmyfriend.com.au, with 68 per cent of single Australian women agreeing that it's not single men that are all dried up, but suitable men that have gone underground.  

The recent media storm proclaiming that single Aussie men are as rare as hens teeth has sent shock waves through the camps of stiletto wearing single ladies, but further investigation shows that the numbers may not be as dire as originally rumoured.  Reports that men outnumber women are true, but only by a miniscule margin of three per cent ( according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Data June 2007) .  That means that if you're lucky enough to land yourself at a singles party, you could expect the turnout to have 100 single women and 97 single men, which are pretty good betting odds for any romantic gambler.

To put the singles plight in perspective, according to official ABS national population data, 52 per cent of males aged 20 - 39 are unattached.  When we compare this to the number of single women of this age group (44 per cent) it would be fair to say that in actual fact, there is a female famine afflicting our shores rather than a man drought. 

It can nevertheless be argued that the man drought / sheila shortage debate is somewhat arbitrary.  What every single person is looking for (if they're looking) is a like-minded companion.  But how do we find them?  This latest social research poll shows that pubs and clubs are losing their appeal (7 per cent) however, a friend's recommendation scores the biggest thumbs up from singles (39 per cent).  An overwhelming majority (83 per cent) went further to identify Internet dating as the favoured option to meet like-minded people. 

According to Louise Jackson, a psychologist specialising in relationships, it's not a case of there being a shortage of single men OR single women in Australia, but instead it's a scarcity of our ideal man or woman - someone who ticks all the boxes.

"We are accustomed to being able to ‘customise' our lives, from what media we consume to what toppings we have on our pizza, and right down to how we choose a mate.  As our selection criterion becomes more evolved, we need to modify our selection process and Internet dating offers the ultimate means for achieving this," Louise says.

The research also suggested that what's currently available in the Internet dating space is either too mainstream (i.e. every dud and their dog) or too alternative (i.e. swingers). In contrast the meetmyfriend.com.au  concept is seen as both popular yet exclusive in its design, everyone on the site has been personally recommended by someone else.  Working on the philosophy that it is easier and more genuine to describe your friend than yourself, members join with a friend and come together on the site to meddle, match-make and mingle in a socially chilled-out environment.

 "Blaming a supposed ‘man drought' or ‘sheila shortage' is just a convenient way for people to explain away their current single status," says 31 year old single banker Stuart.  "I've got plenty of very decent mates who are single, but our fast pace of living makes it difficult for people to meet other singles the traditional way - meetmyfriend.com.au  is the modern solution to expanding social networks," he says.

As finding the right one, right now proves more and more elusive for both sexes, frustrated fellas and lonely ladies need not despair - there is someone for everyone, many in fact, and this time the numbers confirm it!

Other key findings of the Galaxy Research poll include:

  • Just as human influence has impacted global warming, so to have our own behaviours influenced Australia's current singledom climate! 46 per cent of Aussie's attribute a woman's unrealistically high expectations for Mr Perfect, and busy lifestyle (36 per cent) as factors contributing towards her solitary status, compared to only 23 per cent and 24 per cent attributing the same caustic causes for a man's bachelorhood.

  

  • More than ¾ (78 per cent) of Australians find the meetmyfriend.com.au concept appealing (singles recommended and profile written by a friend) with 16 per cent finding it ‘very appealing'. This equates to 800,000 single Australians age 25-39 years finding it appealing, with 168,000 finding it ‘very appealing'.

  • More than ¼ (27 per cent) of Australians think there are no fun relaxed options available in the Internet dating niche - sites set up for husband/wife or one night stand.

  • 62 per cent of singles say it's unlikely they'll find a like-minded partner in the next six months, with the same percentage saying that it's just too difficult to meet people these days.