Ahhh dating in 2016. This just may be where we ‘feel’ the technology most. Crossing fingers the following expose by Diarysta COLLEEN MCNAMARA for Diary Vol. 6 will enlighten and ensure a appily ever after. 😉
As is clear throughout this edition of Diary and in life in general, Technology is pervasive and supreme. It organizes, categorizes, informs and empowers, and has a freakishly accurate ability to intuitively guess exactly what we want, when we want it. While we’ve embraced tech with open arms in almost every facet of life, when it comes to love, we’re still a little skeptical. After all, aren’t the principles of technology – scientific, practical, industrious – the antithesis of romance?
But the fact of the matter is embracing tech in the realm of love just makes sense. Back in the day, we etched our phone numbers on scraggly napkins and waited to get a phone call from that special someone on our landlines. Today, we send DMs to a potential suitor on Instagram. Simply put, we communicate much differently now, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to let your digital guard down and adapt to the app.
The good news is that there’s much more than good ol’ Tinder available, and the even better news is there’s an app out there that caters to your unique style of loving. You just haven’t found it yet.
Powered by Her: Find your Honey on Bumble
Developed by Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe, Bumble’s swipe, like & chat concept is similar to its famous counterpart, but with a twist: only women can start a conversation. Like most apps, you sign up with your Facebook profile and curate your Bumble profile based on information you opt to pull from Facebook. Men sign up, peruse bumblebees in their area, and receive a notification when a mutual match has occurred. What’s the catch, you ask? Gals only have a 24-hour window to initiate conversation before their hornet disappears into the Bumble abyss. Indecisive people and procrastinators can choose to extend the day-long deadline with one match per day. Phew!
Thank Your Lucky Stars with Align
Okay, flower children, this one’s for you. If your classic icebreaker is “what’s your sign?” this might be your new favorite app. The slogan for Align is “Injecting soul back into online dating,” and the concept is based entirely off of making astrological matches from capability reports born in the zodiac world. Not only does the interface look like an entrancing solar system waiting to be explored, the app also functions as an exercise in introspection, urging you to think about your most prominent characteristics as related to your sign, and how they might factor into the dating world. You receive matches based on Align’s algorithm that link you to your sign’s most compatible fellow users. For now, Align is only available in New York, L.A. and San Francisco, but if your horoscope said something about new love opportunities on the horizon, perhaps it will be coming to a mobile device near you soon.
Get into the Groove on Tastebuds
Ever go on a truly remarkable date, only to discover midway through your romantic shared dessert that they listen to Nickelback? Tastebuds is one surefire way to ensure that you’ll have something – and that’s a very crucial something for many – in common: music. Tastebuds connects you with people who have the same taste in music as you nearby, within an age range of your choosing. Not only does Tastebuds look after your initial conversation starter (Hey, have you listened to their new album yet?), the first date idea is a no brainer: a concert, of course! Even if you don’t find the Sonny to your Cher, chances are you’ll come across some cool new potential pals on Tastebuds.
Raya: The App for the Oh-So-Exclusive Ones
Vogue dubbed Raya the “Soho House of Dating Apps” and New York Magazine considers it the “Tinder for Illuminati.” Raya is easily the most exclusive app on the market, geared to connect the cool kids across the globe. Its selection committee accepts people in creative industries, and it’s unsurprisingly the choice application for stars – John Mayer and Cara Delevingne are both said to be Raya users. If you manage to wiggle your way into the Raya world, you’ll be connected with people all over the globe; this app operates on the assumption that you can hop in your private jet to go and meet your potential new lover in Fiji. Profiles are made by stringing together a collage of Instagram photos, and apparently the selection committee gives preference to those who have a significant Instagram following.
Foodies Unite! Find your Dream Dinner Date on Dine
For culinary aficionados, there’s no stronger bond than a mutual love for the same hole-in-the wall dumpling spot on the outskirts of the city. Dine’s slogan, “More dates, Not swipes” is meant to attract those who are more serious about getting past the chit-chat stage and cutting right to the chase, deciding when and where to meet. The app connects you with people nearby who have chosen the same favourite restaurants as you, then prompts you to go on a date with them. There is even an in-app option to help decide who’s picking up the tab or if you’d like to split the bill, so you can avoid that unpleasant post-dessert interaction. Added bonus? That awkward moment of suggesting a steakhouse to a vegan won’t happen here.
A Quality (cup of) Jo with your Bagel, Madam?
Developed by a team of three sisters in San Francisco, the ethos of Coffee Meets Bagel is similar to Bumble in that the main stakeholders are the ladies who decide whether or not to make the first move. The app delivers 21 “bagels” (also known as the gals) to gents every day at noon, representing who they’re interested in. From there, the bagels receive a curated list of the best quality matches, which they can start text message conversations with (using encrypted numbers). Coffee Meets Bagel prides itself on quality matches for those who are really looking for that special breakfast partner, and boasts that over 650 who’ve met on the app start relationships each week. Yes, they’ve found their everything bagel.
Now you See me, Now you Don’t! Connect Paths on Happn
You know that cute barista you see through the café window every morning? Or that effortlessly handsome gent you cross paths with every now and then on the metro? Happn will connect you, saving you from that soul-crushingly scary moment of walking right up to them and expressing your interest. Users on the app can see how many times they’ve crossed paths with other users, and can like each others’ profiles in hopes of getting a like back, and launching a conversation. If you see someone whose attention you’d really like to grab, you send them a virtual charm (awww!).
Find your Favorite Storyteller on Lively
One of the biggest critiques that mobile dating faces is that it’s impossible to get a feel for someone’s personality from merely a photo. Lively has responded to users’ needs in a big way with its innovative profiles, which function by stitching together a collage that combines photos and videos in hopes of showing a person’s diversity. You can aggregate a combination of content from Instagram, Facebook and your camera roll, and provide live updates, or stories, — on a daily basis, like Snapchat. The catch? The more you update your content on the site, the more your profile will be seen by other users … so you may have just found yet another cell phone addiction.