Lately, we can’t go anywhere on the internet without hearing about a new dating site, hookup app, or some variation thereof. Folks who are looking for lasting love, a one-night stand, or something in the middle are spoiled for choice. We decided to make things a little easier by compiling the best few things we’ve read recently, so that you can stay savvy about virtual courtship. Enjoy!
Earlier this month, Nerve covered Hinge, an app that hooks you up with your friends’ friends, through Facebook. (For the awkward set-up that you engineer yourself!)
“This is the post-data revolution app, something that doesn’t play upon the information we’ve groomed for the public with a fine-toothed comb, but instead, it takes the information we’ve been voluntarily sending out into the ether of the web for years, for better or for worse.”
Now, we’re hearing about Pure, a new all-genders casual hookup app that cuts right to the chase. From New York Magazine:
”On Pure, users designate their gender and the gender(s) of the people they’d like to sleep with, specify whether they are able to host or not, and are shown any other willing users in the surrounding area, each with an “Okay” or “No Way” prompt. When two users are mutually attracted, they’re given each others’ coordinates to meet up. There are no profiles, no lengthy chat sessions, and all unfulfilled requests vanish after an hour.”
For folks who prefer a more traditional dating site, in which you exchange messages before meeting up, advice columnist Captain Awkward offers the most practical advice we’ve heard on the subject. For example:
“When you write to someone for the first time, follow the alliterative trinity of:
- Short
- Simple
- SpecificInitial greeting script: ’Hi, I really like your profile, especially (where you said x cool thing)(the fact that you like x piece of media that I also like)(the photo of you where you are doing or wearing awesome stuff). Where did you find your (cosplay element)(unique bookcase)(jazz record collection)(fancy shoes)?’”
We strongly encourage you to check out the rest, here.
Once you’ve chosen your site or app, you’ll usually have to make a profile. You could try to wow your potential mates with your wit, your collection of exciting hobbies, and your highbrow tastes in reading and viewing material. Alternatively, you could just use this random profile generator, which combines some of the most common elements of online dating profiles into… basically nonsense. We ended up with sentences like,
“Using my farmshare I’m just a regular guy I love the smell of down to earth Infinite Jest vinyl records.”
and
“Listening to music skiing feminism I’m not good at filling out these things.”
We think we come off looking pretty good.
Did we miss anything? What are your go-to sites and apps for meeting partners online? Tell us below.
