PHOTO COURTESY OF LOSANGELESBUSINESSJOURNAL

A mobile phone depicting assorted dating apps.

I have had the single worst relationship of my life stem from a dating app. I also found my girlfriend of over a year through one. 

The internet may give us the option to connect with possible partners on dating apps, but it’s not always the best possible answer to your love life woes. I have seen both the good and bad that can dwell with each swipe you make.

This is not to say it is not a bad or good option, but more of a mixed bag based on how you go about finding love on these apps. I mainly believe that there is a certain caution you need to take to make sure you won’t fall into the trap of a toxic relationship or situationship.

Of course, dating apps offer a great positive for us introverts who may enjoy conversation with their peers, but also aren’t comfortable enough to brave the local bar or frat party and its crowds. You can meet people who share your interests, who may be outside of your circle of friends or classmates without needing to go on an Indiana Jones sort of expedition to find them.

However, having easy access to many different people on dating apps can also be a curse encased in fool’s gold. It’s hard to tell right off the bat if a person has the qualities you need in a partner, and it often feels like there’s pressure to jump into a relationship when you start talking to someone. 

You can easily find yourself in a situation where you force yourself into something you’re not ready for and end up feeling the repercussions as time goes on. To avoid this scenario, there needs to be boundaries set to make sure there is no rush for the two of you to determine whether this is a healthy and sustainable relationship.

Avoiding this scenario can also come down to your state of mind. If you are fresh out of a relationship and searching these apps for your next partner, you are more likely to try to rush into something and end up using a person as a rebound from your ex. This causes pain to the person you’re talking to and builds major guilt or regret from the choices you made in the past.

In the same vein of being careful of people, these apps are littered with “catfishes”, the people who use fake pictures and accounts to lure their victims to send them money or even information that can be used for blackmail. It’s hard to be sure when you aren’t able to talk to your match face-to-face, so always be on guard and make sure you protect your information and yourself from falling prey to their lies.

While I’ve talked quite a bit about the risks of using dating apps, it isn’t all that gloomy to look through potential relationships on them. When it comes to talking to matches, even if you don’t hit it off and form a bond of romance, you can still make friendships that will last you for a long while. 

Sometimes, a person won’t end up being the one for you, but that doesn’t stop you from keeping them in your life if you enjoy your time with them.

With the seas of possible walking red flags on the app, these negative experiences could still bring about a positive in the end. Personally, going through multiple different periods with a match on Tinder, I learned what to avoid in terms of red flags in a person while also planning out the boundaries I needed to make before I could go looking for someone else.

Dating apps are one of the wonders that have come from the age of the internet, connecting people with similar interests or passions from within your own home. However, just like everything else on the internet, there is a level of protection you need to keep around yourself to make sure you find yourself in the great parts of the experience. 

Even if you encounter the undesirable areas of the app, you can still learn from these incidents to figure out how to avoid the same instances occurring while figuring out how you can better yourself after moving on. It all comes down to how you approach your matches.

So if you need a boost to help you start your search for a life-long partner, dating apps aren’t a bad place to look in. Still, there needs to be a level of caution to take to preserve yourself and your match. Keep your eyes peeled and lust in check before you jump into the deep end of a relationship.

Categories: Opinion