Navigating Online Dating Platforms: A Guide for Over-50s and Gen X

Gen X is going through a moment. We are now our parents. Gen X are the folks born from 1965 to 1980. We are between the ages of 44 and 59. Which means we’ve lived a lot of life. We are in the middle, and what comes in the middle? Changes. Perhaps divorce? Changes in our relationships. For some of us, our children are grown or about to be grown, and we might be experiencing an empty nest. But in all, many of us are back in the dating pool. And from my observation, the dating pool is more like a swamp.

For this think piece, I’m asking Gen Xers under 50 to sit out this one. You’re still youthful. Well, at least in my mind.

For many over-50s and Gen Xers, re-entering the dating scene can be exciting and daunting. Having spent years, if not decades, in long-term relationships, the dating landscape has dramatically shifted since our last foray into romance. The rise of online dating platforms has revolutionized how people meet and connect, offering many opportunities but presenting unique challenges.

I’m writing this story to provide a brief guide to navigating online dating platforms for us, Gen Xers, and to help us confidently embrace this new chapter.

Most of us have embraced the digital shift. We are on the internet, using social media to network and share. But online dating apps are more than just networking and sharing. It is marketing yourself. It is you selling yourself to another person in hopes of making a meaningful…