There will always be skeptics who will believe that dating applications only create strange calculated relationships , and romantics who will only believe in love at first sight when meeting. However, the reality is that more and more couples are dating directly through apps, so it's worth looking at why it's such an effective way of dating and whether it's really possible to find great love on them?

Are dating apps dulling the idea of real love?

The answer to this question is certainly not clear-cut. One of the versions could be that love is the same, only the means by which we get to it change. Dating apps expand the circle of people to get to know and make the first selection for us. After that, it is up to us whether feelings arise.

First of all, applications are based on algorithms that select the most suitable possible partners according to various criteria. Secondly, people most often create profiles in applications with the intention of building some kind of relationship. Looking at these two points, skeptics might really ask, where is the unpredictability of love, the magic of chance dating?

Of course, you can indulge in slightly sentimental romantic ideas about love and not use dating applications. However, dating through applications has already become a reality of life. Skeptics argue that algorithms reduce the chance of meeting your opposite pole to whom you are attracted. It is partly so, but it is clear that in life too, when meeting new people, we use our more or less conscious selection criteria. The first impression of a person is made by appearance, but when we get to know each other better, we ask questions about each other's interests and hobbies to understand if we are on the same page. In a way, dating apps do this for us, instantly selecting people with whom there is a greater chance of a broad like-mindedness and a deeper connection.

However, the dark side of dating applications should also be mentioned right away. When communicating in a virtual environment, instead of face to face, people tend to lose their sense of reality and say things that they would not say in real life. Also, in virtual reality, people tend to pretend to be better than they are in reality. There is also no shortage of criminals, so applications should be used conscientiously and cautiously, putting safety and respectful communication first.

Why are dating applications so effective?

Often the apparent disadvantages of dating applications can also work as advantages. It all depends on how smartly and with what approach they are used. For example, the fact that people in dating applications create profiles with the specific goal of building a relationship can also work as a big plus. If this intention is mutual and clearly known from the very beginning, further communication also develops differently than if nothing is known about the other when getting to know the other and the communication at the beginning serves to try to sense the other's intentions and attitude.

Also, thanks to the fact that conversations in dating applications do not take place face to face, it is much easier for people to talk openly and concretely about their boundaries, goals and expectations from each other, thus avoiding misunderstandings and awkward situations in life. The key to the success of dating applications lies largely in the fact that they expand the circle of people available for communication.

Through applications, it is possible to get to know people with whom you have the same interests, with whom you even live in the same city, but whom you might never meet in real life. In the applications, it is possible to meet people with whom you have no previous connections, no mutual friends and acquaintances. Moreover, this app trick can be used in real life as well. We often fail to meet new people, including potential romantic partners, because we spend most of our time in the same circle of people. Therefore, you should definitely try to find ways to spend time in other companies in real life as well, go to events where you will have the opportunity to meet like-minded people.

Do relationships that started in dating applications result in marriage?

As more and more couples meet on apps, an increasing proportion of these relationships result in marriage. Of course, there are some users of dating applications who look for short-term relationships in them, however, these prejudices about these applications are slowly starting to diminish, as it is becoming a popular way of dating also for those who want a stable long-term relationship .

However, there is an interesting nuance - more marriages break up in the first years of marriage among those couples who met in the virtual environment. This could be related to the fact that in applications it is possible to get to know people who are outside the usual circle of friends and acquaintances. While this is undeniably a big plus for apps, it can backfire in the long run if not consciously worked on. Of course, a relationship is made by two people, but the circle of others is also important. If the couple met through mutual acquaintances, then they already had some points of contact in the circle of friends and acquaintances of both. However, when two completely unrelated people meet, a common circle of friends has to be built from scratch and it is not always easy.

There are situations where each couple meets with their friends, but organic communication with the other half's friends is not formed. Close relationships with each other's family are no less important. Of course, this is not the only reason why a marriage can break up, but a common circle of friends and other loved ones is undeniably essential.

The main thing is to use dating applications conscientiously, to be open, not to mislead others and, what is especially important, to clearly draw boundaries and protect yourself. And when the other half has met, remember that the relationship continues and takes place in reality, so you must continue to invest all the necessary efforts and develop full-fledged communication so that they really succeed.

Author of the article: Renate Berga