University students are turning to online dating to find sexual partners, with some even looking to ‘Sugar Daddies’ to get their thrills and pay their bills.
Teri Dyer
University is supposed to be a place to get out and meet new people, but one in three students in the UK have looked for a sexual partner online according to a recent survey.
Freshmeet.com, the UK’s first student-only dating website, charges £3 a month for their services which match single students based on their likes and dislikes. The founders have dubbed it “dating for the price of a pint”.
They surveyed 300 students in November and December 2012 and found that one third had looked for a sexual partner on the internet.
Co-founder Anthony Purkiss said: “It’s no surprise to us that students are now more likely than ever to embrace the world of online dating when it comes to meeting a love interest.”
Sugar Daddies
But some students are looking for more than just love online – they are looking for money too.
Sugar Daddy dating website Seekingarrangement.com, which matches attractive young women with wealthy older men, reported a 58 per cent increase in all university students enrolling in 2012.
The controversial dating website, which specifically targets university students by offering a free premium membership to users with a university email address, allows women to exchange their time and affection for lavish gestures and cash handouts from wealthy men.
Students could use the money for tuition fees, books, living expenses, or even just expensive shopping trips.
Prostitution?
A survey conducted last year by the website found that approximately 80 per cent of all arrangements conducted through Seekingarrangement.com involve sex, with the website receiving criticism that it was a form of prostitution.
CEO and founder of Seekingarrangement.com, Brandon Wade, defended the criticisms on his blog last year. He said: “Because the relationship between a sugar daddy and a sugar baby is romantic in nature, most sugar relationships will likely involve ‘sex’.
“And because a sugar daddy is expected to be the generous gentleman, ‘money’ will always be spent on the sugar baby. I don’t see anything wrong (or illegal) with that!”
But an update to the website on January 28 2012 urges users to be cautious when meeting their sugar daddies. It said: “A first meeting should never turn into a sexual transaction. If he’s leading you down that path, he is not a true Sugar Daddy.”
Have you ever used a dating website during your time at uni? Or would you consider doing it? If yes, we want to hear from you. Comment below or email editors.river@gmail.com.
Grace Henley 
Josh Smith 
Ella Rebbitt