A Holy Matrimony for the Ages: Dating Online
Is dating online the new norm for long-term connections? Here's my view.
I wake up to my phone semi-bombarded with men liking my semi-edited pictures, commenting anecdotes about their lives or how cute my fringe looks in the picture where I use that Instagram filter everyone raves about. The app is called Hinge in which the developers pride themselves on long-term relationships through users answering questions on their profile, posting quirky selfies and ultimately having users conversing amongst the already given topics. I find it refreshing albeit ‘cute’. I truly start to think during the time of my Hinge days that Tinder is a forsaken app that will never be download onto my phone ever again. The swiping perspective of dating apps is a popular choice amongst singletons, given the convenience of taking a second to decide if the looks are worth potentially matching with the fellow human on your screen. Superficial perhaps? You decide after not-so careful deliberation that their head seems a little too small and their bio included way too eggplant emojis. You swipe left so fast that a blackhole whirlwind develops in your mind of online dating fiascos.
We live in a modern world where technology has taken the reigns of communication, social antics and even finding your new soulmate. With a simple download from the app store, you’re on your journey to find either a quick hook-up in your local area or the person you described to your friends as marriage material. What happened to the good ol’ days of visiting a classy bar in central London and fluttering your eyes at the alluring specimen at the end of the room? Most of us have definitely accepted that online dating is a steady trend especially in the days of busy 9-5 jobs and Covid-19 forcing us to stay indoors. The internal grasp of swift swiping and easy conversations may be the way forward for long-term relationships but could the right app be the way to go?
The most popular app, especially amongst young adults, is Tinder. Easy swiping, easy hook-ups and potential for a long-term relationship. If you meet someone with the same interests and dreams, it could turn into something serious right? However, the stats aren’t the most promising thing in the world for daters. In fact, due to a recent study by Marketwatch, there proved to be a low success rate of 0.6% (awkward). The trend accumulated with many matches but very few dates; in terms of seeking a long-term connection. Moving on from Tinder, other apps including Bumble, play with the swiping notion nevertheless leaving it to the ladies to make the first move. It’s inviting, playful and fun, just how dating is supposed to be. When we come to the topic of solid matches, this app seems to win over the famous Tinder kind. Having only 24 hours after matching with someone, you message them and hope that they message within 24 hours so you don’t lose them. Ah, the heartache. It does become a numbers game but leaves a sense of meaningful hope when it comes to finding ‘the one’.
Long-term relationships have come across one’s mind, one way or another. To have someone in your life who truly understands your needs, wants and desires becomes a reality rather than a dream (we expect). This is where the classics shine. Just like movies such as The Godfather and Titanic, the dating sites like eHarmony, Match.com and OkCupid steer the reigns of the online dating pool (when it comes to long-term desires). These sites use specific algorithms, ‘science’ for bonding and make sure that people are in it for the long haul. Have you ever tried to sign up for an eHarmony account? The experience is vaguely time-consuming however gets to the ins and outs of what you want from your significant other. The pairing process commences and thus leads to hopeful conversations leading to successful dates.
With over fifty million users on dating app giant, Tinder, the immediate reaction imposes how reliant and interested singletons are to find their match. Of course, you come across many looking for casual hook-ups and some who really don’t even know why they’re on the app in the first place but ultimately online dating is taking over the world (still). With life still remaining busy and social interaction becoming a difficult task for some, the concept of speaking to people online and understanding their reason for being on the site almost immediately can give you an automatically rapid answer to where you can go with the user. Although you know there’s someone there, it’s still unnerving for some to know that texting is the social interaction for convenient dating. Convenience has become a trend in itself in most industries with fast food, streaming music or booking an Uber at the click of a button. Simplicity.
The point from all of the information above is how you could interpret dating sites and who you really want to talk to. If your intentions are serious, dating sites could potentially hold the right person for you at a click of a button. Although there’s a lot of scepticism around dating sites due to the casual reputations they hold, the fact is that more and more people are using these sites to find genuine connections through modern life. Setting yourself boundaries and standards could be a good mindset before joining these sites as you have your intentions right in front of you. Long-term relationships can be made through hard work, communication and for the spiritual folk out there like myself, manifestation. Many dating experts advise that apps like Tinder are hard to find a solid match but investing into sites like eHarmony and Match.com could be your answer to a future wedding cake and priceless amounts of genuinely from ‘the one’.
