There are many reasons to download dating apps: entertainment, boredom or maybe to find true love. While the cure for heartbreak may not be dating apps, they are a lot of fun. Swiping away hours of time is the ultimate distraction to help overcome your ex or procrastinate on an upcoming essay.
Comparing the Big Three
When I think of dating apps, there are three apps that come to mind: Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, which are designed to provide a unique user experience.
Tinder is the way to go if you’re looking for mindless swiping. If you’re just curious about who’s out there or not that interested in your potential partner, download Tinder.
Bumble is a happy middle ground for those of us who still care about looks but also care about basic compatibility. You can’t expect to understand someone perfectly from the five hobbies they have listed, but at least you’ll know if there’s a red flag right away.
In my experience, Hinge is the supreme app. I’m not sure what it is, but Hinge has a way of finding all the right people. Of course, not everyone’s gonna be perfect, but it’s a lot less overrun than Bumble and a lot more intimate than Tinder. Just be prepared to spend way too long crafting the perfect profile and being frustrated when you run out of likes.
The Tiring Side of Dating Apps
Everyone’s heard dreadful accounts of unsolicited dick pics. However, I am a collector of unsolicited Spotify playlists. Many apps allow you to link your Spotify, and if you have a mutual artist with your match, be prepared to receive a massive unwarranted playlist of music that’s supposed to impress you, accompanied by an unwieldy list of favourite artists. There’s only one way to do this right: Spotify blend, a playlist which combines your and another person’s music. When this worked on me, it was only due to our 88% similarity rate in our music taste. If it’d been any lower, I think this would’ve been a major turn off too.
While playlists are one thing, impatience is the most common plague that’s infecting the online dating world. Don’t expect to send more than three messages before being asked to meet in person. My number one piece of advice is don’t be afraid to ignore. Don’t feel guilty for unmatching or blocking someone or simply not replying. If you want to talk before meeting in person and they don’t, it probably wasn’t meant to be. Move on and find someone who’s looking for the same thing as you.
The Hope at the End of the Tunnel
Occasionally someone will be willing to wait, and when the time is right, a date might be the move after all. It may seem scary to meet a stranger, but in the words of my very wise coworkers, “you’ll be able to tell if they’re a murderer.” Now I’m not condoning inviting a stranger into your home, so if the coffee date is going south, then it might be alright to head home alone. I was scared, but everything worked out. In my eyes, it’ll either be a good time or a really good story.
To my matches, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that you were part of my research for this article. To anyone interested in the future, I will write about you; you’ve been warned.