What is online dating?
Online dating is a way of meeting with a person of your choice with the help of an app or a website. It is commonly termed internet dating.
Online dating sites:
The internet is now reaching out to every corner of the place, and people have adopted to connect through mobile apps and sites. With this change, online dating sites and apps have emerged as a booming market and many entrepreneurs and businessmen are launching their apps to make money from this market. Some businesses were started with free dating sites which further transformed into paid sites too if you want to use their premium features.
Online dating statistics 2021:
Online dating industry or dating sites has increased significantly, and one of the key reasons for such growth is the rise in internet users. USA, India, China, Japan, and the UK were the top 5 in the online dating services market in 2021. The dating apps market share is expected to reach 9 billion US dollars by 2024. Tinder is still one of the most famous apps with more than 8 lakhs average monthly searches.
Is it OK to do online dating / Is online dating toxic:
There is a positive and negative impact on every aspect. Online dating too has its pros and cons. The biggest benefit of online dating is you get a chance to choose from a huge variety of potential partners. On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of online dating is people generally don’t look like their actual pictures. Having said that, majority of the people still believe that online dating is a safer platform to meet people. Online dating can be toxic too because of negative experiences such as ghosting (which is one of the popular dating app guides), physical traits, and unreasonable expectations. According to research, online dating users have experienced more psychological and mental issues than non-users.
What do dating apps mean?
Online dating apps are here to stay for long. A dating app can be installed on your phone, it also has a website that can be accessed from a computer. It provides a platform where people can connect based on their interests.
What is the main purpose of dating apps?
The main purpose of dating apps is to enable people to search, find and meet with their potential partners on their app with the help of the internet.
How does dating app work?
These apps are generally software applications that you install on your phones. The apps work on algorithms based on factors like gender, age, and location that help you to find the appropriate partner.
Free dating apps
Some people want to taste the flavor of online dating without investing/paying which is completely valid. Some have questions in their mind like which dating app should you use. Here are some best free dating apps that offer both free and paid versions to help you find your potential partner in a few seconds.
#1 Tinder:
Tinder is one of the best dating apps to try if you want to do casual dating and hook up with another person. It mainly targets the audience between the age group of 18 to 30. The app’s best part is its interface which is very easy and simple to use. It works on a simple formula to swipe right if you are interested.
#2 Grindr:
This is again one of the top dating apps. It is majorly known for casual dates and hookups with gay or bisexual. A lasting relationship here is very hard to find since most people are not looking for anything serious. It is a paradise for transgender that promotes the importance of all sexualities and gender identities.
#3 Her:
It is one of the biggest apps for the LGBTQ women category which emphasizes greater importance towards women’s equality and empowerment. It is an award-winning dating app that lets you meet girls who are solely in for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women relationships.
#4 Eharmony:
This app is also meant for free online dating worldwide. It provides a different model altogether. You don’t need to find people here by looking at their profile pictures rather it helps you to find them using their interests and tastes. It also offers some premium features free of cost such as seeing recent visitors on your profile and responding to the messages. It already helped over 2 million couples to find their true love.
#5 Once:
This is a slow-dating app that is meant for people who do not want to spend their time finding a partner themselves. This app shows a profile of a person that it thinks will be a good match for you and it happens every day. The only condition is you need to open this app every day to remain an active user.
#6 Badoo:
This app not only helps you find your partner but also lets you video call your matches before meeting offline. It follows some strict guidelines to provide a better and safer environment to the user such as a safety center, private detector, rude message detector, verified profiles, and video calling.
#7 OurTime:
This app lets you send emails and chat with your potential partner. It also offers some premium features like the ability to see who has liked your profile. If you want to use dating apps for free, then this is one of those.
#8 Zoosk:
This is originally a Facebook app with over 30 million downloads. It was launched in 2007 and currently has over 40 million active users of which half are members.
#9 Hily:
It is one of the perfect apps to make a new relationship happen. This app uses Artificial Intelligence to find your preferred partner by improving matchmaking. It also covers over 16 million users around the world.
#10 BLK:
This app is based on a fantastic concept. It is for the people who are looking for black singles. It helps in finding that connection in their community of users. This app was highly praised by the users and in magazines.
Best dating apps in India
Here are the best dating apps in India that have the right matching algorithms to help in connecting with your perfect match.
#1 OkCupid:
It is one of the best modern dating apps which was again targeted at people who wanted casual relationships, but it has now become a platform for some long-term and serious relationships. OkCupid has a lot of customization which can help you in finding your perfect match.
#2 Bumble:
This is an alternative to Tinder. It also has an authentication method to have people provide photo identification which helps in removing fake profiles. This is a women-centric app since only women can send the first message to other persons, so it helps in preventing them from getting unwanted messages from other people.
#3 Hinge:
This app works on making user profiles more engaging and helpful by focusing on mutual friends that you and your partner shared on Facebook. This app is also known for people who want to come into a serious relationship.
#4 PlentyofFish:
This is another well-established app that helps in forming connections by meeting people and maintaining long-term relationships. This app is for more mature people aging between 35 to 60. It consists of just 10% of people under the age of 30. It not only has its website but also has compatible apps both for iOS and Android.
#5 Happn:
This app is excellent from a user’s point of view. The primary feature of Happn is to match you with the people who are nearby. This is a unique feature to connect you with the people with whom you would have crossed your paths.
#6 Facebook Dating:
There was a time when people used to find dating apps on Facebook so keeping that factor in mind, Facebook Dating was launched, and it is a part of the Facebook app for iPhone and Android devices. It has an attractive user interface that promises to easily connect you with people who have common interests or activities.
#7 Match:
It targets a pool of different age groups ranging from 18 to 50 and even above. This is also one of the oldest apps/websites. It offers different packages to avail of its premium services.
#8 TrulyMadly:
It is termed as one of the most trusted dating apps with over 7 million users. This app fills the gap between casual online dating and matrimonial websites by creating an exciting environment for the people. The app is completely safe, and people can find even more matches once they verify their profiles via LinkedIn and Facebook.
#9 Woo:
It is another online dating app that offers some exciting features like voice intro and direct messages. It is known as one of the safest dating apps for women because by using its inbuilt voice search option, they can talk to their partners without disclosing their phone numbers.
#10 Doobdoo:
This app helps users to find their matches through its GPS-based search that further gets narrowed down to specific locations. It also offers greater safety for girls and takes quick action on any hate speeches or fake profiles. Every feature is free on Doobdoo.
Online dating disadvantages and advantages
The effects of modern dating applications tend to be mixed. Some still find it hard to choose between online dating vs traditional dating. Some people have wonderful stories through online dating that resulted in satisfying relationships. Whereas others have experienced confusing and frustrating relationships. Thus, online dating has both positive and negative effects. The few advantages to online dating are it saves time, narrows down options, helps in meeting more people, and does not involve family. On the other side, it has demerits too such as it is hard to find the truth about your partner, lack of success, and unwanted sexual messages.
Online dating enables access to more people with a sense of control, safety, and friendship. It also requires efforts of people to face the risks of having negative experiences or not even finding someone. Therefore, it is important to know the pros and cons of online dating and decide if this way of meeting people is worth it.
