London, Aug 17 (IANS) People, who stay online, are more likely to be in relationships because internet dating has become an effective way to find a partner.

A new study suggests that people who shy away from the net may be the ones who labour to find love.

The research found that 82.2 percent of people with access to the web at home also had a spouse or partner, compared to 62.8 percent of those who were not online, reports the Telegraph.

Michael J. Rosenfeld, associate professor of sociology at Stanford University who led the study, said the results challenged the view that the internet can distract people from forming real-life relationships.

He said internet dating was proving particularly popular with groups - including middle-aged divorcees - who have traditionally had difficulty finding suitable partners.

Rosenfeld said: "In the next several years the internet could eclipse friends as the most influential way Americans meet their romantic partners, displacing friends out of the top position for the first time since the early 1940s."

The study was based on a survey of 4,002 adults, 3,009 of whom had a partner.