Dating apps always give me a good laugh. They add a bit of spice, a bit of flavour to my otherwise very mundane life. I’ve made so many beautiful memories, met lifelong friends and gained so many valuable life experiences. Today I’m here to share with you the many life lessons I’ve learned from using dating apps.
The likelihood of a date going wrong is astronomically high, especially when you’re meeting strangers from the internet for the first time. For example, there was this one guy who had been desperately chasing after me for weeks, even after I had very clearly expressed my disinterest to him. He then bribed me with free boba, fully aware that I’m the type of person who would never turn down free boba (since I am in fact a broke college student with an unhinged boba addiction). I then decided to take him to the music building to seduce him with my smooth piano skills. After about ten minutes, he left to use the washroom. As soon as he stepped out of the room, I had this gut feeling that he wasn’t coming back. So, I checked my phone and just as I had suspected… he had already unmatched me. I then heard him leaving the building. The nerve. The audacity of this man. I was shocked but not surprised. At that very moment, I realized that life is full of curveballs. When you learn to fully embrace and accept these hardships, that’s when you will truly be able to appreciate life.
Then again, I’ve been the villain in somebody’s love story countless times. From making plans that I never intend on following up on or flaking on plans last minute because I’d rather take a nap. Nobody’s perfect. Last summer I had an absurd amount of time on my hands, so I went on many dates. One day, I had made plans for four dates in a day, all of which I ended up completely forgetting about. I was then awoken to many calls and texts from random people who I had completely forgotten existed. It was a rather eye-opening experience and taught me how crucial time management is. Sadly, I ended up flaking on every single one of those dates and never spoke to any of those people ever again. This is an unfortunate end to this riveting love story, yet it allowed me to realize how important organizational skills are to everyday life.
However, sometimes there comes a time when ghosting is the only possible course of action. Oftentimes, even the block button may be necessary. On dating apps, most notably on Tinder, you will come across men, many of which suck. Men who will text you “u up?” at 3 a.m. Men who will sacrifice every ounce of their dignity they have. I’ve had men unmatch with me on dating apps and block me on various social media platforms, only to find me again on yet another social media platform. This type of behaviour can really take a toll on one’s mental health and sometimes the only way out of it isn’t through communication or reasoning, it’s through the block button. The block button has been one of the most useful tools of my entire life. It’s always okay to get rid of the toxicity. If something isn’t adding positivity to your life, just let it go and you’ll be a happier person at the end of the day.
I’ve been on Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and Christian Mingle. I’ve experienced epic highs and lows and the amazing triumphs and defeats of the disastrous world of dating apps. It’s been a wild ride and I wouldn’t trade any of these experiences for the world.