Jordan Sebastiano, otherwise known as “unlimited swipes” by his Fantasy Football League, is an avid online dater. Sebastiano compares his Tinder usage to mingling with women at a bar, claiming that the strategies associated with picking up women are no different than offline dating.
“I am judging people based on looks initially, then I introduce myself,” Sebastiano said, “It’s similar to me swiping right on Tinder and striking up a conversation once I’ve looked through their photos.”
The methodology behind the Tinder’s GPS-based algorithm is truly viable and the app shows it can be just as unpredictable as conventional offline dating. It allows users to swipe right to like someone or swipe left to reject them.
Online dating sites and app’s superficial layers only mimic how young men and women already interact. The dynamics are similar to meeting someone in person, including similar scenarios. The infamous one-night stand, bar hook-up not only applies to offline daters.
“I’ve definitely had some weird and random encounters,” Sebastiano said, “I met her on Tinder and after first meeting up at a bar we ended up back at her place shortly after a couple of drinks.”
Cynthia Plunkett is a digital marketing professional and online dating expert in the Tampa-Bay area, studying trends and dating behaviors. She feels that the dynamics of the online relationship amount to what you make of it and the effort you put in, just as in offline dating.
“It’s like submitting your resume to a job,” Plunkett said, “If you’re going to be generic, you’re going to get generic,” Plunkett said.
She has found that regardless of the app or online dating site used, it is people’s motivation and time commitment that allows them to meet more compatible partners.
For some, online dating sites brought love into their lives. Dating site Christian Mingle is where Elliot Hamdeed met his current girlfriend of a year.
“The first date, as any, was awkward in the beginning, but we had a lot to talk about because we were initially able to talk online and become more comfortable,” Hamdeed said.
Hamdeed explained how meeting online did not affect any aspect of his relationship. The intricacies of Hamdeed’s intimate relationship now, he explained, are no different than a couple that met organically.
Stigmas associated with online dating are becoming progressively more positive. According to a research study performed by the Pew Research Center, the use of dating sites and mobile apps has nearly tripled since 2013.
“I’ve met women through apps, online, and offline,” Sebastiano said, “and when it comes down to it, the medium is not what is making me attracted to the person.”