Distracted Dating: How Does Massachusetts Stack Up?
Distracted dating is a thoroughly modern probably, thanks to smartphones. But how big of a problem is it in Massachusetts?
I wish I had some expertise to share on the subject, but I don’t. Actually, scratch that: I’m glad I don’t have any expertise to share. My heart goes out to anyone reading this who is putting their heart out there in the dating scene these days. So many apps, so many social networks, so much complication. Sure, the “dating pool” is wider and deeper than ever. But I’m glad I’m not swimming in it.
I’ll leave the dating expertise to The Matchmaking Company. They put together this piece called The States with the Most Distracted Daters and it’s revealing. Here’s a bit of their methodology: “We conducted a nationwide survey of 3,100 Americans [and] calculated a ‘distraction index’. The score is based on how often they check their phone…during dates.” It runs from 0 to 100. So where does MA land?
Distracted Dating: How Does Massachusetts Stack Up?
Turns out distracted dating isn’t as much of a problem in the Commonweath as it is in other states. Massachusetts ranks 35th out of the 43 states surveyed, with a “Distracted Dater Score” of 36.48. To put that into context, Texas owns the top spot in the ranking with a whopping 85.62, more than a full 10 points ahead of Tennessee, which is ranked second. Maryland is 43rd with a 12.49.
So what’s keeping those Mass numbers low? Over 70% of daters in the state are putting their phones on Do Not Disturb while out on a date. That’s a good start. You can dig into the numbers here if you’re curious about how MA stacks up when it comes to texting, checking email, and taking calls on a date. And if you keep scrolling, you can see what some people are doing before they head out on those dates.