Can dating apps work?

When referring to the question of whether or not dating apps can work, the short answer is, “Yes!” Plenty of people in this day and age have met their partner or several partners via dating apps. However, there is a longer, more complicated answer, and that is, “Yes, they can. But it takes work.” For every positive experience that someone might have on a dating app, they might have at least five negative ones. The important thing is to try and make dating apps work specifically for you rather than waiting for them to be perfect in cultivating an online dating experience for you.

The first thing to remember is that using dating apps and dating sites takes proactive work if you want them to yield results. Oftentimes, people will give an app a “try” just once or twice and then conclude that dating apps don’t work for them. If we remove the context of the internet is the difference between meeting people on a dating app vs. meeting people in real life would be the equivalent of speaking very briefly with someone and then concluding that it won’t work based on a few things that have been said.

The second important piece of information is not to settle on different traits just because it will cast a wider net for potential opportunities to meet new people. Don’t feel swayed to hide different parts of yourself or be dishonest about your preferences. This might mean that you attract less “attention” to your profile, but it could mean that the attention that you get is more meaningful and based on the truest and most honest version of you rather than the version that someone has projected onto you inside their mind.

Thirdly, it is possible to cater to dating apps to access people and profiles that are to your liking. Sometimes, it can feel like you are wading through profile after profile and still not finding what you are looking for! Take advantage of features that allow you to “filter” different people from seeing or not seeing your profile. Answer any match-based questions that will help the app cater your results to your preferences. All of these features are meant to create a more positive experience in these dating apps. Why not take advantage of it!

All-in-all, dating apps can be simultaneously annoying and a great way to meet and connect with new people. To avoid as much annoyance as possible, it might be worth considering some of these steps in making your dating app experience as meaningful as possible.