The prospect of dating apps seems promising, especially in a large metropolitan center with a few million people! The pool of prospects would be both deep and wide.  Most single (and not-so-single) people used online dating sites or dating apps to meet other singles. In Australia alone, it was estimated that 3.2 million Australians used dating apps in 2021.  Although most of these people are between the age of 25 and 34, older generations are getting the hang of it.

But here is the catch.  Dating apps and online dating sites make us adopt a consumer culture, a culture based on the incessant practice of comparison and choice.  So, using dating apps will definitively get you on a lot of first dates, but will you be going on second dates?  Will you compare this date with the other one you had a few days ago? Or will you be yourself compared with others?

If you are just about dating, with no desire to pursue anything further, dating apps can be very useful because you will be offered a choice and if you have any time left in between dates, you may be able to compare.

Here is the story of a woman in her fifties who decided to use a dating app after the breakup of a long-term relationship, not to find another partner but just to have some male company in her life. Her story illustrates what we know already …that dating can be fun but it’s time-consuming, some online users really misbehave, and therefore you need to always consider your own safety.