Lumen

2.3 Million Australians Are Currently over 50 and Looking for Love

Lumen, the first ever app-only dating offering dedicated to over-50s, has announced its official launch in Australia, as it pledges to provide a space that truly represents the needs of single over 50s.

Lumen provides a safe and welcoming online dating space for the 2.3 million single Australians over 50 and looking for love. With 100% of user profiles verified to prevent fake users, an emphasis on quality conversations and zero tolerance for age discrimination, the app has already attracted over 300,000 worldwide looking for love or companionship since launching in the UK in September 2018.

Charly Lester, Co-founder and CMO of Lumen and one of the UK's most recognised dating experts, said: "While there are existing senior dating sites, we believe they are dull and don't represent the average 50-plus dater that you or I know. When you consider Jennifer Aniston, model Helena Christensen and Keanu Reeves, who are all 50 plus, it's clear that today's 50 year olds are vibrant, relevant and shouldn't be classed as old. We believe over 50s are often portrayed far older and less tech-savvy in media and advertising.

"Lumen was born from the need to dispel these stigmas. The app provides a solution that specifically listens to this demographic and provides a platform tailored to suit to their needs. We're excited to bring Lumen to Australian shores to help the millions of single Aussies over 50 find the right person for them. "

Charly adds that many singles over 50s don't feel accurately represented by the dating apps and platforms already available on the market. "A common thing that we hear from over 50s is that they feel invisible. A common complaint from women over 50 is that men their own age want to date younger women. One popular mainstream dating app rounds anyone over 55 in the category '55+' - not allowing users to search specifically beyond that age, so it's especially easy for women to feel overlooked. This is where Lumen comes in."

Looking at the numbers

After soft launch in Australia three months ago, there are already more than 20,000 single Aussies over 50 looking for love on Lumen. "Australia is one of our most active countries and we are already seeing quick adoption with a very active and tech savvy user-base" says Antoine Argouges, Co-founder and CEO of Lumen.

"Australians are demonstrating a growing appetite for a platform that listens to their specific needs and provides a safe, respectful space to find love. All the feedback we have received so far is very positive and we are looking forward to expanding further in the region."

Victoria appears to be the place to be for over 50s with Victo rian singles the most active in the pursuit of love. They spend the most time out of all the states on Lumen, spending 30% more time on the app per day than the average Australian. Over 50s in New South Wales came in second, spending 26% more time per day on the app than the other states .

When it comes to striking up a conversation on Lumen, Victoria is also the most c onfident state, with singles initiating an average of 4.5 conversations per day, closely followed by New South Wales [4.3] and Western Australia [3.9] . Northern Territorians were the most hesitant, only initiating 1.4 chats a day.

One of the most important parts of dating is your profile description. Western Australians are the most chatty about themselves with profiles which are 13% longer than other states. On the other hand, Northern Territorians are more shy when it comes to talking about themselves, with profile descriptions 18% shorter than the average Australian. "We have noticed that a shorter profile description leads to less activity on the app. Having a detailed profile description gives people more information about you and more ways to break the ice. As the data from the Northern Territories shows, the less you write on your profile, the less likely you are to receive messages," adds Antoine.

How it works

The app is free to join and use, and each member can start six new conversations a day with other users. This feature is designed to prevent spamming and to encourage users to take time and think about who they contact and what they say. Once a message is sent, the recipient has 72 hours to reply to the message, and then it disappears from their inbox.

There is a minimum character length for 'ice-breaker' messages on the platform to encourage meaningful and quality conversations. Profiles are more detailed and every single profile must contain at least three photos. Lumen Premium offers members optional paid additional features – double the number of daily messages and the ability to extend the amount of time which someone has to reply to your messages. Premium users can also see which other members have listed them as a 'Favourite' on the app.