Dating Apps: Tread with Caution

The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.

^{Henry Ford}

Online dating apps are seen as one of the most popular ways to meet a potential partner, whether it’s for a casual date or a long-term relationship. During the pandemic, it was observed that 2.2% of the Indian population used dating apps in 2020. According to a survey conducted by Rakuten, the number is expected to increase by 3.6% by the year 2024. Among all the dating apps, Tinder is ranked as one of the most popular apps in India, with over 25 million users, followed by Bumble, Hinge, and OkCupid. Woo, TrulyMadly, QuackQuack, and Aisle are also popular dating apps in India, but with fewer users. It is also worth noting that the popularity of dating apps in India is concentrated in urban areas. According to a recent survey, about 70% of the dating app users in India are from metro cities. The remaining 30% of users are from smaller towns and cities. Further, the apps are more popular among young Indians, with about 47% of the respondents between the ages of 25 and 34 saying they used dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. There is also an app for Working Professionals’ dating called “HeyBoardRoom“.

A major contributing factor behind the rising popularity of dating apps is “loneliness” as lots of people who used online dating websites or apps reported that they felt less lonely. If we talk about countries like the US, about half of those under 30 (53%), 37% of 30 to 49 year olds, 20% of 50 to 64 year olds, and 13% of 65 years and older reported having used a dating site or app. Looking at sexual orientation, lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adults were found to be more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to say they have used a dating site or app (51% vs. 28%). Men are somewhat more likely than women to have tried online dating (34% vs. 27%), as are those with at least some college education when compared with those with a high school education or less. But are dating app sites always safe to use? 

Ren on X said, “Is this guy being hurtful? Jason spent three days telling a woman, Jessica, he met online that he wanted to kiss and cuddle with her. When he met her a man showed up dressed like a Woman and said was Jessica.”

Lauren on X said, “LMAOO this is literally my profile! And getting brain surgery doesn’t make me less of a badass bitch just trying to be honest and laugh about it.”  The tweet had a practical purpose: the person added a warning to their Hinge dating profile to inform their matches about their upcoming brain surgery on June 27th and July 6th. However, this heartfelt message ended up becoming a source of humor on social media. An account with 15,000 followers shared a screenshot of their profile with the caption, ‘Everyone says there is plenty of fish in the sea,’ followed by ‘The fish in the sea,’ highlighting the unexpected way personal information can turn into online jokes. Lauren was alerted about this by a friend who sent her the post asking, “Is this you?” to which she responded, “What the fuck? How did this person even find me?”

It’s truly disheartening that scammers primarily focus on online dating platforms as a means to engage in identity theft and financial fraud. Regardless of the specific dating website or app, these online scams typically exhibit similar patterns. There are too many dangers of online dating like catfishing where fake online dating profiles use attractive photos to tempt the victims into a relationship, romance scammers asking for money where scammers who want you to send them cash and gift cards to gather information they can use to commit financial fraud, phishing for personal information, fake online dating and hookup sites, blackmail, and extortion using your sensitive photos.

So, if you are on a dating app, beware that your profile can be screen-shotted and shared online without your consent, and you could become a viral meme. Sharing someone’s dating profile or personal information without their consent is a breach of privacy and can have negative consequences for the individual whose information is shared. It can lead to harassment, cyber-bullying, or other harmful consequences. Screen-shotting conversations and profiles on dating apps displays the abuse and poor behavior prevalent on such platforms, an issue that has been ignored for years. In conclusion, if dating apps offer an easy way to meet your potential partner, then they also come with lots of internet risks. The stories of deception, privacy violations, and online jokes underscore the need for vigilance and responsibility. Therefore, users must exercise caution and skepticism when engaging with strangers online, no matter if it’s related to dating apps or social media platforms. It is advised that users observe caution when it comes to sharing their personal information, sending money to strangers, or engaging in explicit conversations.