…men tend to focus on the youngest women in their already skewed preference pool, and, what’s more, they spend a significant amount of energy pursuing women even younger than their stated minimum. No matter what he’s telling himself on his setting page, a 30 year-old man spends as much time messaging 18 and 19 year-olds as he does women his own age. On the other hand, women only a few years older are largely neglected.

—Just one part of yet another detailed and brilliant look at the habits on online daters from OK Cupid, this one looking at the role age plays. The entire post, with some fantastic charts, is really worth a read and confirms some stereotypes – men tend to prefer younger women, even younger than they’ll admit to themselves, women tend to have little patience for younger men and are much more open about their preferences.