You want to find someone, you want somebody to love (same as the famous song by Queen). Maybe you’ve been through a breakup or maybe you’ve never quite found that special someone. Either way, here you are single, and wondering, can anybody find me somebody to love?
You’ve either been through the apps or heard their horror stories so you wonder, are dating apps really necessary? What else can you do to find love?
Who Uses Dating Apps Anyways?
Dating apps are a great way to be exposed to so many more people than ever before.
According to a new survey from Pew Research Center, 42% of adults think dating apps make it easier to find a romantic partner. Only 22% said that using dating apps made it harder.Three in ten adults say they have used an online dating app.
Out of those who do use online dating apps, they tend to be younger, never have been married, and more likely to have some college. Tinder tends to be the top dating app of choice. The data appears to be split almost down the middle on having positive experiences with dating apps with 53% versus 46%.
Women tend to get more messages than men, so women tend to feel overwhelmed by online dating.
Out of those who find success on dating apps, one in ten partnered adults found success on dating apps.
The Pros Of Dating Apps For Finding Love:
Exposure To More Opportunities For Dating
Your generation is a little different than the generations before you. No longer does society live in tight-knit communities where everyone knew each other and was very community involved. This generation tend to be more isolated, and in fact has been measured as the loneliest generation ever. Dating apps can help with the isolation that you feel as a generation and expose you to more opportunities than ever. You can meet new people that you never would have been exposed to before.
Streamlined Matchmaking For Finding Love
Gone are the days of Aunties and elder church ladies making matches that were found suitable. Now it is up to you to continue to weed out who you want and don’t want. Stressful in an already busy world. Online, applications can help you explore potential matches without the need to meet up with them or waste your Sunday morning.
Tailor Your Search To Find The Man Of Your Dreams
Online apps can be a helpful way to ensure you are meeting the person that most aligns with your values and what you want. Are you looking for someone in your religion? Someone who enjoys time outdoors or perhaps likes cats? On online dating apps, there are a range of filters to help you curtail your search and find the man of your dreams.
Social Anxiety Got You Scared To Date?
Online dating can be a way to easily break the ice and get to know someone before even having that first awkward encounter. This can help you already have ready-made topics to talk to them about before you go on a date or to even know if you want to go on a date with them.
The Cons Of Dating Apps:
Did you know 90% of women and 87% of men are disappointed by what they’ve seen on dating apps? Dating apps are not all roses and sunshines and can actually have quite a few downsides. Always trust your instincts on who you match with on these sites, and if they seem to be showing red flags or exhibiting scary traits, immediately block and report that user.
Dating Sites Can Be Unsafe
Dating apps can be unsafe for women, as sometimes potential matches will reverse image search their photos and use it to find their social media profiles and thus be a little too connected. Meeting up with potential matches can lead to scary situations so be sure to video chat first with the person (making sure their video works), tell a friend where you are going, and meet in a public place. If needed, get the help of a bartender or waiter to help you get out of there.
Can Be Overwhelming And Take Up Time
Dating sites can be overwhelming with the amount of matches and messages, particularly as a woman. There’s a game of what to share, how to present yourself, and when to message back. Dating is full of games and those take a lot of energy, when life is already really busy for most people.
Can Get Sent Messages That Are Rude, Explicit, Or Threatening
No one wants to check their phone to find a photo that well has a little too much revealed. Or to find threatening messages in their inbox. Online dating apps run the risk of not knowing the person or their intentions at all which can be scary. If those things happen, be sure to block and report that suspicious user. This can usually be done anonymously.
Scams Occur On Dating Sites
Ever heard of the Netflix movie The Tinder Swindler? Or what about the popular television show, Catfish? Online dating can lead to real scams and real danger. Be wary of those that live far away who start asking for money, saying they can’t meet in person, or want your money quickly. These scams can be quite elaborate and based on helping them in some way. If the profile looks like a supermodel or they begin quickly asking for money, it is better to walk away.
Other Ways To Find Love Offline:
1: Get Outside Of Your House
Find hobbies you are passionate about, join groups, go to places you want to visit. Get outside of your house and get involved.
2: Speed Date
Speed dating still exists and is becoming more popular as people wear out of online dating. Google speed dating near you.
3: Tell Your Friends About Your Search For A Partner
Tell your friends you want to meet someone. Hopefully they can begin to search for you or think of suitable people to set you up with.
4: Professional Matchmakers To Help You Find A Partner
If all else fails, believe it or not there are still professional matchmakers out there. Fees can range from about $500 to 250,000. The demand for matchmakers has actually gone up in recent years.
If you are struggling to find love or handling rejection, it may be worth a look at our blog post on 7 Ways You’re Unknowingly Sabotaging Your Chances Of Finding Love (Plus How To Fix It).
The million-dollar question – are dating apps necessary for finding love? Online dating can be amazing and terrible, but it can be entirely up to you and your area. There is no easy answer to if dating apps are right for you, but never forget, there are still options to meet people in person should you pursue that. Happy Dating And Best Of Luck!
If you are looking for therapy, Mary Willoughby (Romm) Prentiss is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia who provides online therapy for Willow Tree Healing Center. She enjoys transforming the lives of women, college students, kids, tweens/teens, and families through providing communication strategies, coping skills that work, allowing a safe space to be heard, and actively working towards helping you with your challenges. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2-7) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, counsels substance abuse in teens and adults, and practices Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.