{"id":22737,"date":"2018-10-22T17:00:45","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=22737"},"modified":"2018-10-22T17:00:45","modified_gmt":"2018-10-22T16:00:45","slug":"love-at-first-swipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/love-at-first-swipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Love at first swipe?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Online dating can be a minefield, and with hundreds of apps on offer&#8230; but is it actually possible to meet &#8216;the one&#8217; online?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BkqpEHghztv\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BkqpEHghztv\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A study by dating app <em>Badoo<\/em> revealed that millennials are spending a shocking 10 hours a week on dating apps. According to statistics, over 50 million people are using the app, with 10 million using it daily. Apps like <em>Tinder, Bumble<\/em> and <em>Plenty of Fish<\/em> have taken over the world with people choosing to meet online instead of in real life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The swipe-left for no, swipe-right for yes invention has become a phenomenon with almost every single dating app choosing to use the same features. There<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s hundreds of apps out there but on apps that consists purely on whether or not you like the way someone looks, it<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s guaranteed that there are bound to be some serious disasters. We asked people to spill their worst dating dramas:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-22737 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/anon\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/anon-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/anon2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/anon2-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/katie\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/katie-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/ruth\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/ruth-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/nje5nzm3\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/NjE5NzM3-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/nje5nzm5\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/NjE5NzM5-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/ella-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/ella-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/lucy\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/10\/lucy-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2026 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">don<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">t despair! It<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s not all doom and gloom in the world of dating, with new apps being released to help revolutionise the game and taking us back to the good old days of conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2014, <em>Bumble<\/em> was launched hailed by the press as a feminist dating app. It allows women to make the first move in order to escape the inevitable inappropriate messages (and pictures) sent by men. According to Forbes, Bumble has been responsible for over 5,000 marriages so far<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2026 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">so dating apps must be doing something right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A newcomer to the dating app world, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jigtalk.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>JigTalk<\/em> <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">has been dubbed <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2018<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The dating app where people actually talk<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the premise of the app centres around conversation. Everyone you speak to has a jigsaw puzzle covering their faces and with each message a piece of the jigsaw disappears. It puts the focus back on talking to each other instead of judging people instantly on their looks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We spoke to the head of digital at <em>JigTalk<\/em>,\u00a0Danielle Poleski, who told us: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even in the past 2 years, the taboo surrounding online dating has practically disappeared. It<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s becoming the most common way people are meeting their partners, be that for serious or casual relationships. I see the future of online dating leaning less towards the superficiality of the experience that launched Tinder and more towards people<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s personal values and the real qualities they want to see in a partner. I think the future of online dating is going to bring those values back to the surface and come full circle to traditional dating values, technology is supporting this shift and I<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">m so excited to be a part of this change.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Avoiding an awkward date isn&#8217;t always easy, but activity dates are usually a better way to get to know the person in a fun environment without all the mood lighting and alcohol to cloud your judgement.<\/p>\n<p>Dominic Gaynor, managing director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.team-sport.co.uk\/\">TeamSport Karting<\/a> said: \u201cSometimes doing an activity, such as go-karting, can take the pressure off, and ensure you have a laugh and there are no awkward silences. Doing something active and fun is a great way of getting to know someone; go-karting is renowned for increasing heart rate and getting the adrenaline pumping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other great first date ideas are mini-golfing at the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junkyardgolfclub.co.uk\/london\/\">Junkyard Golf Club<\/a>, bowling at the chic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allstarlanes.co.uk\/\">All Star Lanes<\/a> or even a visit to an indoor trampoline park such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jumplondon.com\/?gclid=CjwKCAjwpKveBRAwEiwAo4Pqm1yfRWQGONS60-bhpX5AMSi0ElV-RVesWzskm8og_1j1nbLojNBH8xoCbSUQAvD_BwE\">Jump London<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It looks like change is coming<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2026 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and we can<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">t wait to swipe right. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Words: Ruby Naldrett |\u00a0<\/b><b>Subbing: Victoria Locke<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Online dating can be a minefield, and with hundreds of apps on offer&#8230; but is it actually possible to meet &#8216;the one&#8217; online? A study by dating app Badoo revealed that millennials are spending a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":476,"featured_media":22745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,82,110],"tags":[3681,4649,5551],"class_list":["post-22737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-lifestyle","category-sex-and-relationships","tag-lifestyle","tag-online-dating","tag-sex-and-relationships"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/476"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}