Adapted by Meredith Turits. Tinder, the most downloaded dating app in the world, hit three billion swipes in a single day during March — and it's broken that record more than times since then. Although these apps have helped many people connect with other singles for years, some daters have raised alarm bells about the environment they breed. This is especially the case for women, who experience a disproportionate amount of harassment and abuse on the platforms, most often from straight men.
It hurts. Most of what was happening in that world for me was dismissal — a lot of dismissal, a lot of being made to feel like I was of lesser value.
These messages proliferate across platforms, and do affect both men and women. But women appear to be disproportionally affected.
Data from a Pew Research Center study confirms that many women are experiencing some form of harassment on dating sites and apps. This is even the case for teen girls aged 15 to 17, who report receiving these messages as well. A Australian study of dating-platform messages revealed that the sexist abuse and harassment does disproportionately affect women , targeted by straight men. When it comes to the size of the dating pool, the statistics noted earlier suggest that despite the number of possible matches, the success of finding someone is quite low.
So people need to be prepared they will either initiate or receive requests for connections that are likely to go nowhere. This rejection can be challenging, especially for those who are sensitive to rejection. The large pool of potential matches brings with it more decision-making about who to choose - making trade-offs between which potential mates to pursue and which to avoid.
The large pool could even undermine success because people overly objectify prospects or become overwhelmed by choice. So much of our first impression of people is in how they speak and how they engage in an interaction — we rely on a lot of non-verbal behaviour when we assess people. Read more: Right-swipes and red flags — how young people negotiate sex and safety on dating apps.
The online world also makes it easier for people to lie or give false impressions of themselves. Digital devices act as a window to the rest of the world, including our relationships. This is even more the case where online dating is concerned. This form of striking up new relationships is entirely dependent on our digital platforms or smart devices. People are, because of online dating, literally carrying their dates around with them in their pockets.
While this comes with a large amount of convenience, it also comes with its own risks. Online dating, indeed, requires the exchange of a certain level of information which, if placed in the wrong hands, can be misused.
They are also at heightened risk of experiencing an IT security-related problem such as having their data leaked or exposed in some way. Yet, they do little to protect themselves, with only one-in-three putting basic security measures in place such as using strong passwords or restraining themselves to sharing limited information about themselves online.
The boundary between online dating and the real world can very easily be blurred. Information about home addresses, once shared, can very quickly result in strangers turning up on doorsteps, personal information and sensitive photos can very easily turn into blackmail opportunities or put hacked accounts in the hands of cybercriminals.
Far from advising people to reduce their online dating activities, we simply would like to advise online daters to exercise caution, just like they would in the physical world. If you chose to date online, be careful not to click on unknown links that could be malicious, and try to avoid using insecure Wi-Fi hotspots where data can be intercepted by cybercriminals.
Furthermore, use protection in the form of a security solution and strong, hard-to-guess passwords, be savvy about how much data you give away and, importantly, look after the data you care about the most. Solutions for:. Dangerous Liaisons: is everyone doing it online? Different generations have different views on their purpose. People tend to dislike online dating services. Those who have used online dating services tend to like them more. Create your own stories based on data. Our content marketing guide will teach you everything you need to know about creating content based on original research from survey data.
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