In recent years, the Internet has become an increasingly important venue
for meeting partners. While meeting online may have a range of effects
on family-related outcomes, studies on the link between meeting online
and family-related outcomes are scarce. Using eight follow-up waves of
the German Family Panel (Pairfam), with observations from 8,177 persons
from three birth cohorts between 2009 and 2016, this study investigates
whether meeting online is associated with relationship satisfaction,
intention to separate, separation, moving in together, intentions to
have a child, and entry into parenthood. More specifically, a series of
between-person regressions are used to compare those who met their
partners offline and those who met their partners online. Results show
that meeting online is associated with likelihood to separate and
intentions to have a child in the youngest birth cohort, and transition
to parenthood in the oldest birth cohort. These findings are discussed
with the concepts of selectivity and intentionality in searching for and
meeting partners online.