  Have we become more tolerant of dating people of different social backgrounds
compared to ten years ago? Has the rise of online dating exacerbated or
alleviated gender inequalities in modern courtship? Are the most attractive
people on these platforms necessarily the most successful? In this work, we
examine the mate preferences and communication patterns of male and female
users of the online dating site eHarmony over the past decade to identify how
attitudes and behaviors have changed over this time period. While other studies
have investigated disparities in user behavior between male and female users,
this study is unique in its longitudinal approach. Specifically, we analyze how
men and women differ in their preferences for certain traits in potential
partners and how those preferences have changed over time. The second line of
inquiry investigates to what extent physical attractiveness determines the rate
of messages a user receives, and how this relationship varies between men and
women. Thirdly, we explore whether online dating practices between males and
females have become more equal over time or if biases and inequalities have
remained constant (or increased). Fourthly, we study the behavioural traits in
sending and replying to messages based on one's own experience of receiving
messages and being replied to. Finally, we found that similarity between
profiles is not a predictor for success except for the number of children and
smoking habits. This work could have broader implications for shifting gender
norms and social attitudes, reflected in online courtship rituals. Apart from
the data-based research, we connect the results to existing theories that
concern the role of ICTs in societal change. As searching for love online
becomes increasingly common across generations and geographies, these findings
may shed light on how people can build relationships through the Internet.
