Online dating has become one of the fastest growing channels in finding a partner. Remember back in 2007, when there were just networks such as Match.com and eHarmony? Well, now we have dating and hookup apps (yes, I said hookup apps) such as Tinder, Grindr, MeetMe and even Bro.
These apps have become the new age of dating and “meeting people for fun.” It may seem willy-nilly to get online and meet people, but with dating apps there is more than meets the eye. A person can encounter some crazed individuals on these apps.
People on dating apps tend to be very specific and pretty picky as to what they want in a person, as opposed to meeting people in person. I think it has something to do with the fact that people aren’t talking in person. Some may expect users to pursue them online so they get the luxury of not having to look someone in the face and say “I’m not interested.”
When you think about it, a person wouldn’t go up and say “I’m not into whatever you are.” It’s much easier for a person to put a description in their profile excluding a certain type of person. Here are some tips that you should take into consideration when cruising to meet people online.
First, if someone messages you or accidentally matches with you, either tell them that you’re not interested or just simply un-match or block them if you think a reply is just too intimidating. I have tons of friends who have experienced this with meeting people online. Someone would message them and most of the time when they would not respond, their match would keep badgering them with message after message until my friend was ready to delete the respective app. Life could be made much easier if you just communicate and tell someone you’re not into them. A lot of people should be aware that not everyone is going to be interested. From my friend’s experiences and the research tests I’ve done with this, there seems to be an increase of people “trolling,” just wasting time or leading double lives on these apps.
The Internet is a great place to play with sexuality and many take advantage of it too. On apps such as Grindr and Bro, there are a lot of closeted “straight” guys, including married men and guys with girlfriends. But this is the world that we live in. Just be wary when talking to people online. Common lies people will tell you include: “This is my work phone,” “I don’t have a camera on my phone” and “I don’t have pictures on my phone.” This is 2016. You should have a stable phone that’s fairly capable of taking pictures, and if you don’t, you wouldn’t be on online apps and sites in the first place. Just don’t be naïve. People can tell you anything. It just matters if you decide to believe it or not.
Watch “Catfish” on MTV, and you will see what I’m talking about. “Catfish” is personally one of my favorite TV shows because I love the mystery of finding out who’s really behind that phone screen. They travel all around the country helping people find out who they’ve really been talking to online. If you date online, consider that the person on the other end of the phone may be someone else. One of my favorite quotes from the show is when someone said, “You can be anyone on the Internet.”
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