Believe it or not, online dating apps really haven’t been around for that long. Sure, it seems like eons ago (during the dawn of the Internet — you know, the Stone Age), when we would see commercials for match.com, eHarmony, and the rest of the lot: web-based services that could take the place of old-school classified ads, ‘lightning date’ meetups, and even the good-old local bar. These were venues that brought “the promise of long lasting relationships, based on 1,436 levels of compatibility, and to prove it, here’s a list of people who met on our site, and have gotten married, and here are their kids…” you get the idea.
But that was then, and this is now. Don’t get us wrong — these sites did their jobs well. But times have changed.
We do our shopping online. We buy cars online. We use our smartphones to hail a cab. We find a quiet bungalow on some distant shore thanks to Airbnb. Our music, our movies, the toys our dogs play with, our monthly shaving club, our food delivery — hell, the aggregate of our social experiences are conducted primarily online. The question isn’t why we should meet someone online, but why shouldn’t we?
Truth is, today’s smartphone owner has come a long way. Apps like Tinder opened the floodgates to the point where the idea of “swiping left” on somebody has taken on a cultural meaning well outside of its online purpose. Somebody hits on you, and you’re not feeling it? “Oh, I decided to swipe left on them.”
Maybe it’s because, well, everybody’s doing it. When was the last time you overheard a conversation among a group of friends? There’s always that one person who’s been single just a little too long for everyone’s comfort, and it’s never too long after the second drink arrives at the table before someone mentions that looking online might not be a bad idea. Less than one generation ago, the idea would have been embarrassing. But now? Why not?
It’s this ubiquity that’s caused the dating app to slip out of the realm of faux pas. In the short time between dial-up modems and smartphones, it was kind of an in-joke that we saw on sitcoms all the time: “Oh, where did you meet your new friend?” At which point, the awkward dude would stammer something about a “meeting them at a cocktail party,” or “s/he’s a friend of a friend.” Fast-forward to the late 20-teens, and the answer is a lot simpler, and universally understood. “We met online.” Everyone nods their heads, and the conversation continues.
Let’s face it. We’re preaching to the choir here. If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve already decided to use Lucky, or you’re really close to hitting the ‘Download’ button. And if that’s the case, it’s likely because you’re interested in exploring the world of online dating to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
You know, as well as everyone else does, that there’s an app for just about everything, and this definitely goes for dating — online meeting places for different lifestyles, sexual orientations, racial backgrounds, erotic preferences… you name it, it’s out there. But until now, there hasn’t really been a voice for those looking for one of the most time-tested and ancient of the reasons people begin talking to each other in the first place: the hookup. The no-strings-attached, anonymous, on the DL, we’re-consenting-adults-so-let’s-have-some-fun… hookup. That’s what we provide with Lucky.
Since we’re introducing ourselves here, let’s talk for a moment about why we think this app is an amazing idea. There are plenty of reasons (many of which you probably have a good inkling about at this point), but here’s where our heads were at when we were putting this app together.
You’re not looking for a ‘date,’ per se.rnIt’s really not that uncommon. You don’t really want a relationship. Or, if you do, you don’t want it tonight. When we created Lucky, we did so with men and women in mind who just want to meet up, with no strings attached. Maybe it’s for some casual sex; maybe it’s to try out a kink or a fetish you have always tossed around in the back of your mind; maybe it’s for… whatever idea we haven’t come up with yet (you know yourself better than we do). So we thought it would be fun to introduce a way that lets you sign up in less than a minute, where you don’t even need a username and password, and start looking for people close to you. It’s like a lot of the other apps out there, but stripped down to the absolute, bare minimum. Personal information is for relationships; anonymity is for hooking up.
You’re super-efficient.rnThis goes without saying. You’re sitting on your couch, re-watching Season 4, Episode 6 of ‘Friends,’ when it hits you: you’re bored. So, you pull out the phone, and turn on a standard-issue dating app to see what adventures the night may hold in store for you.
Before too long, the math starts to crunch. It’s 8 p.m. now… find someone in 45 minutes, start chatting, convince them to meet up for a drink, get to know each other, and if it works out, there’s no way I’ll make it into work by 8 a.m. with my head on straight… And then, you close the app. It’s too much work. Bring on Episode 7.
That’s another big thing we had in mind with Lucky. The time-limit thing. Just log on, tell the app that you want to find someone within the next hour, and start swiping. After all, you both know what you’re looking for. Before you know it, you’re en-route to your destination.
Getting dumped? Forget about it.rnNobody likes rejection. But you can only get rejected if you’re looking for something romantic, and long-term. Which is why getting dumped isn’t even on the radar. This is a
hookup — a one-night-stand, incarnated in app form. As far as we’re concerned, if you were looking for a relationship, with dinners, roses, and meeting the parents, you would have gone elsewhere. But you’re here, which means that you’re looking for something different. You’re looking for fun.
If, after a night of passion and adventure, you never meet the other person again? That’s cool. If you decide to exchange numbers once you’ve met in real life? Hey. Have at it. Glad we could make it happen.
Another content related to
craigslist personals dating replacement.rnThe original article is here:
How Online Dating Apps Keep Changing Our Lives