Smartphone the new Wingman for blokes looking for love

Media Release, 14 February 2014

The answer to Australia’s man drought has been found in time for Valentine’s Day with new research from Telstra revealing one in four men are turning to their mobile phones to find love compared to sixteen per cent of women.

Telstra surveyed 1,250 people aged over 18 asking them how they go about meeting potential partners and how they plan to declare their love to their Valentine on February 14th.

The results also found that sixty percent of people who reported using dating apps are now in a relationship.

Telstra Director Consumer Mobility, Scott McGibbony, said the research shows many Aussie men are using their smartphone as the modern wingman.

“Social media and dating apps coupled with bigger screens and faster mobile network speeds means smartphones have really become the ideal wingman for single guys.”

“One in three Aussies admitted they have been asked out via social media with men more likely to ask someone out on a social media platform like Facebook,” Mr McGibbony said.

“We’re also seeing more Aussies in relationships connecting with their Valentine via technology with more than half opting to call their partner for a catch-up and one in three couples saying they prefer to text their Valentine to show their affection.”

Telstra is again helping Australians around the country declare their Valentine through the Billboard of Love.

The Billboard of Love is a 26 meter high electronic billboard located on one of the country’s busiest intersections – the corner of Swanston Street and Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne.

People can send a text of love to their Valentine and we will project it on to the giant screen. We will then send them back a picture message showing their message as it is portrayed on the billboard.

“Last year Australians sent more than 40,000 text messages to the Billboard of Love which kept the messages on the billboard ticking over for three days - even Dave Hughes and Warnie got involved,” said Mr McGibbony.

“This year we are aiming to break that record by asking people from around the country to take part.”

The research also revealed

  • (VIC) Victoria making moves: Victorians are the most likely to use mobile apps to get a date, with almost one in four single Victorians admitting they have used a mobile app to get a date.
  • (WA) Fly-in, fly-out: Western Australians are most likely to be connecting using technology, with almost 15 per cent saying they are in a long distance relationship.
  • (NSW) Virtual Valentine: People in NSW are the least likely to ask someone out face-to-face, with one third saying they would turn to a call, text, mobile app or social media before asking out their crush in person.
  • (SA) I got a crush on you: One in five South Australians would turn to a call, text, mobile app or social media before asking out their crush in person.
  • (QLD) A new private message: People in Queensland are the most likely to use Facebook for more than just connecting with their mates: more than one third of Queenslanders have been asked out over social media.
  • Generation Gap: Gen Y is the most likely to get asked out over social media, with almost half the respondents saying they’d had a special social request, while only one in five Gen Xers had.
  • The (tech) secret to a good relationship: Those in relationships are most likely to think it’s okay to turn to tech to connect, with a quarter of those committed saying a text or call is okay when making the first move, compared to only 18 per cent of singles.
  • Will you be my Valentine?: Almost ninety per cent of Aussies in a relationship will be with their significant other this Valentine’s Day.
  • Love isn’t always on time: Of those Aussies in a relationship more than half of us admit to finding it hard to keep in contact with their partner

Text your name _space_and your valentine’s name to 0499 MY LOVE (0499 695 683) to declare your love to the world. Standard SMS charges apply.

About the research
This Telstra research was conducted online by PureProfile in January 2014 with a representative sample of 1,250 Australians aged 18+ nationwide.

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