For years now I’ve been dating using websites and speed dating. I have also at the same time been reading people’s accounts of there dating, such as 52 first dates. Every once in a while I moan about the lack of transparency and data from dating sites and if you know me, sometimes over a couple of drinks I swear I’m going to write a book about my dating experiences.
So with all that in mind, I read the blog post “taking my dating life mobile a social experiment” with a lot of interest.
Basically Senior Writer for ReadWrite.com Dan Rowinski is going to use mobile dating apps to gage there success rates in finding love. Of course there is rules…
I have to set some parameters here, or this type of experiment could completely take over my life. So here are my ground rules:
Parameters
- I will actively use dating apps for at least one month to meet actual people.
- I will use a variety of apps (Android and iOS) to get a good sense of their depth and variety.
What I Will Do
- Approach each connection with an open mind and respect.
- Apply the rule of “half your age plus seven” to how old a date has to be (nobody in their late teens or very early 20s).
- Notify dates that I am writing a series on dating apps.
- If I make a meaningful connection and start a fledgling relationship with someone I meet, I’ll terminate the experiment.
What I Won’t Do
- I won’t actively use the dating apps to just look for a “hookup.” No trolling for sex on my smartphone.
- I won’t recount much in the way of specific details about my dates. Yes, I’ll share a few anecdotes here and there, but if you’re looking for salacious gossip, click elsewhere.
- I won’t do anything to endanger my physical, emotional or financial safety.
- I won’t lie to make myself look better or misrepresent myself in any way.
- I won’t ignore possible connections in real life that didn’t originate on my smartphone.
The Apps I’ll Be Using
I chose the following apps because they represent a good cross section of new, interesting, location-based, social and traditional approaches. I won’t be using any traditional websites affiliated with the services, should they exist. For instance, when I use eHarmony or Match, I’ll only use those sites through their apps and over email to my phone. Here they are:
- Let’s Date – Popular new app that allows to browse anonymously for connections.
- Tinder – Location-based app that allows you to see who’s nearby, their pictures and snippets from their Facebook profiles.
- eHarmony – There should be at least one traditional dating site in here to provide a counter to mobile-only apps.
- OkCupid – It’s free and has a decent app.
- Blendr – Among the several sub-tier dating apps in contention, I’m going with Blendr just because it looks the least troll-y.
- Martini (if applicable) – Group dating app that just came to the Apple App Store.
Now the question is do I join in and try it out for myself?
In the past I have used Okcupid and Plenty of Fishes mobile apps and its been fun in some cases.
Don’t get me wrong I’m interested to find out what could happen and find out if mobile dating is any good or not. Mobile dating is a different take on the same idea? I did propose this as something different a while ago.
