Once upon a time, online daters were mocked as lonely losers, or worse. Today, at least 40 million Americans are looking for love on the Web. Like sex, love and attraction, online dating is an object of fascination and confusion.

Some commentators credit it with helping singles feel more secure and confident, while others blame it for “ruining romance,” “killing commitment” and contributing to the rise of the hook-up culture. While women generally prefer men around their own age, men are most attracted to 20-year-olds, period.

The Internet Predators openly tell their age and their intentions and your kids openly talk to them about their own sexual desires. In the past, the thought was that the Internet predators were duping teenagers into thinking they were talking to a kid their own age.

The findings are from the third annual survey Cox and NCMEC have fielded to help parents realize the potential dangers of the Internet.

A recent study from the American Psychological Association found some interesting results regarding the statistics of Internet predators and today’s youth.

They found that the majority of Internet predators do not pose as children as the prior conception of the Internet predator stereotype was perceived.

As the head of Ok Cupid, I worked diligently to untangle many of the misconceptions about finding love on the Internet. That’s why the Daily Mail calls straight women over 45 the “plankton generation” — at the bottom of the romantic food chain.

Time magazine editors found the notion of men dating women in their 30s so baffling that they invited 15 experts to explain the phenomenon.