I have been dating online, via the new frontier of dating apps, for nearly two years. If you follow me or have read my book, you know that I am a huge fan of technology enabling human connections. Through technology, you can swipe right and choose exactly what you want. Long and detailed profile descriptions on dating sites are now a thing of the past. Now you can add a few pictures, write a simple description and start swiping. It’s super easy and works well in today’s fast-paced world. And as superficial as you might think they are, dating apps are visual. It’s mostly about choosing what attracts you. And that makes a ton of sense. Start with what look turns you on.
What’s been extremely interesting to me is that I am very attracted to men from different cultures and foreign lands. Bring on dark skin, dark eyes, a different religion, a completely different culture and of course, a lovely accent and I am all in! I love exploring other cultures and completely different points of view through men I date. And technology via dating apps makes this all possible. You can meet men who you would possibly never run into in real life. And it’s brilliant…
Turns out I am not entirely alone in my pursuit of the exotic. According to a recent blog post, The Internet is Systematically Changing Who We Date, in the Washington Post, “In a recently published study, Gina Potarca of the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland, finds that the Internet appears to be a force for breaking down some of the social barriers that prevent people from marrying those who are different from them. To some extent, the Internet is leading to more mixing between people, the study shows.” Now, I am not looking to get married, but I do believe that the internet is for sure leading to more “mixing”.
Sometimes it’s fun to meet a man who travels to Chicago (where I live) for work from somewhere far, far away and show them my city. Or better yet, to use dating apps when you travel to another country to meet an interesting man, who can also be your local tour guide. This use of dating apps is absolutely smart and some of them (Tinder Plus) allow you to connect with men even before your trip to have plans all sorted before you arrive at your vacation location. I did this last summer in London and in Montreal and it worked extremely well.
Back to the WP article, “the study suggests that the Internet may be leading to greater mixing and interaction between social groups, not less. This was one of the early Utopian theories about the Internet, that it would connect people across different boundaries.” In my world, this is certainly ringing true. How else could I meet a gorgeous and passionate Brazilian attorney or a 6’1” Korean chef or a lovely Indian consultant with a British accent (the ultimate!)? For me it’s Indian, Pakistani, Latin. For you, it may be Austrian, German, Swedish. Explore whatever you are attracted to in the wide world of men on dating apps. Get out there and meet someone you’d never cross paths with otherwise. Cross those boundaries. Have fun. Learn something new.
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What do you think?