Percieved Optimal Marriage Age in the Internet Era—Findings of a Nationwide Survey

Based on data from the nationwide Annual Social Survey of the CBS in Israel and in-depth interviews, the current study investigated the association between Internet use and the perceived optimal marriage age for both genders among singles aged 20–45 in Israel. Respondents of both genders who use the Internet for seeking information reported a higher perceived optimal marital age than those who do not. The effect of social media use on perceived optimal marital age for both genders was insignificant. Sifting through the great quantity and variety of possible matches on the many CMC sites may increase the period of searching and push off the prospective marital age. In light of these findings, the erosion of the digital divide may have important individual and social consequences.