I moved from Los Angeles to Maryland (yeah, I know what you are thinking – WTF why?) immediately after college for my first job with two suitcases, and an open heart. At the ripe age of 22, I was single and ready to mingle. I cut the cord with past romances and began my quest for love on a new coast.
What did I do when I realized I traded 75° & sunny Malibu beach days for 3 feet of snow during a Snowmageddon winter you ask? I entered the world of dating apps. **dun,dun, dun**
I’m here to humor you with 5 uses for dating apps!
- Location-Based Hookups –Traveling to NYC for the weekend and want to see what the Big Apple has to offer? Narrow your location ahead of time to a distinct location and you can line up your matches. Whether it’s to hookup or if you’re into that long-distance relationship -ish, this was a creative use that everyone should try at least once.
- Trolls – Remember those troll dolls you had when you were a kid? Imagine they had an online dating profile and then multiply them by 777. Weeding through the trolls on dating apps is a blend of both pleasure and pain. Whether you are on the receiving end or you are the one doing the trolling – entertainment is guaranteed.
- Shady Shit – Alright ladies let’s get in formation…in fact, where my dudes at too? A nasty (or positive?) side of dating apps is that people you may meet might be just looking for a side piece. Be prepared for those ones who are triflin’, or stay the course if you are looking for that late night booty call.
- Make New Friends – Moving coast to coast was tough – especially leaving family and friends behind. Several apps have a ‘friend finder’ counterpart to the dating side where you can find friends to connect with in real life.
- Lifelong Romance – Whoa, did that escalate too quickly? My intended use for dating apps was to find my prince charming, the Romeo to my Juliet -you know all that sappy shit we read about in romance novels. There are so many fish in the sea, start swiping.
– USER BEWARE – I had a dating profile (ahem..Bumble) that was still active behind the scenes even though I deleted it on my end after meeting my man organically (yes, that shit is certified organic). So, when you do buckle down and find the one, make sure your profile is deleted so his best friend doesn’t find your profile floating around out there.
My personal favorite of all the options is Hinge. Dubbed “the relationship app”, Hinge uses an algorithm that displays friends you may have in common with your potential matches. I would immediately flock to anyone with friends in common with me under the inkling hope they knew anyone from Southern CA and were living on the East Coast. This may sound shallow, but I had a “6 Feet Tall” rule for height for my men of choice. You have the option to display your height on your profile description, which set it apart from most competitors (keep in mind this may have changed within the last year or two since I exited the dating game).
Whether you are looking for a casual or serious relationship, dating apps expand our horizons to meet, flirt and chat with single (or not so) single people!
Now: How do you use dating apps?
