A recent article in news website Refinery29 explored a much-ignored topic in dating: the fact that now, the word “dating” is almost a dirty word, at least among those actually doing it.

In the article, the author argued – singles using dating apps and online dating sites don’t like to use the word “dating” to describe what they are doing, but prefer to use a more casual term, like “hanging out” or “Netflix and chill.” But if we are honest with ourselves – dating is exactly what we are doing. So, why not call a spade a spade?

Over the past few years, there has been a growing aversion to using the word “dating” to describe interactions between people who meet on Tinder, POF, OkCupid, Bumble or Hinge. There is little to no mention of the word date when two people message back and forth, because for some reason, that sounds so formal. It sounds like a promise, an admission that we are looking for a relationship, which is too much pressure. Besides, “dating” could end badly, and people could get hurt. It puts emotions front and center, when people would rather put their emotions aside in order to hook up or see who they can meet next.

Since when did a date turn into something that it’s not?

Dating is all about getting to know someone, to see if they might be a romantic fit. What we have been doing slowly over the past few years in “dating culture” is to take the emotion out of it. In other words, make it less stressful and serious. After all, if all you want to do is hang out, have sex, or “see what happens,” why call it a date?

But here’s what Refinery29’s author presents: we all know what we are doing on Tinder. We are seeing who we might want to be with – physically, romantically, in a relationship. We don’t want to shake hands and call it a night. We want something intimate from the exchange – hence, it’s dating.

There’s something else going on, though. We are afraid of actually connecting with someone and getting hurt. We hide behind screens. We assume that there will always be someone else out there, someone better than the person in front of us, or prettier, or more successful, or better in bed. We are always looking. Which means we are never present in the moment.

And that’s where the magic happens, in the present moment. That’s the only place it lives.

So instead of swiping and moving on, hanging and chilling out, ask someone out on a date. Call it a date. Really take the time to get to know your date. Then see if your experience with “dating” changes.

Human matchmakers have plied their trade for hundreds of years, but only in the 21^st century could something like this exist. Meet Connectidy, a new app that uses IBM's Watson AI to improve the dating experience.

Connectidy bills itself as “the dating app for evolved people.” Powered by a mix of Watson and proprietary algorithms, the app promises to give you a higher level of emotional intelligence and a deeper understanding of what you really want in a partner. Connectidy hopes to empower users to make smarter choices and, ultimately, increase the odds of meeting that special someone.

How does it work? Connectidy analyzes what users write and, more importantly, how they write, then presents an objective personality profile. The assessment is based on the Big Five personality traits, commonly used by psychologists to describe the human personality: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

To create your profile, IBM’s Watson AI inspects written text pulled from any or all of your social media accounts. You will also be asked to answer a series of open-ended questions. Leveraging the Praescripto Engine, Connectidy then uses its patent-pending 5 pass algorithms to deliver a highly accurate personality assessment. The more you communicate with others, the better Connectidy understands you. Answer the questions thoroughly and the website promises a profile that is 90 percent accurate or better.

Connectidy users aren't just able to create more authentic profiles. They also develop a deeper understanding of their own personalities so they can find partners who best complement those traits. Connectidy reveals how your dating decisions affect an outcome, allowing you to weigh the impact and adjust accordingly.

When a match is made, the service acts as a go-between to make sure you're sending the most effective communication possible. Tone Analyzer, also powered by Watson, evaluates your messages to provide tailored advice on word choice and tone. A user who scored highly on the extraversion personality trait, for instance, will get different recommendations that someone Connectidy deemed to be more introverted.

The goal at the end of it all is simple: meaningful relationships. There are apps a-plenty for users who are into serial dating and hookups, but it's harder to make an effective service for finding real, lasting compatibility. Connectidy hopes to be that app.

According to the company's president, Dineen Tallering, “Connectidy’s mission is to say ‘goodbye.’ As part of our success, we will change the current system that pulls daters in and never lets them out. We want to help users find that special someone so we have built technology that truly can end the online dating merry-go-round.”

In the days before online dating became the go-to method of finding love, our efforts were confined to more analog approaches. One-off hookups were found at bars as “Last call!” was announced. Blind dates were arranged by friends and family. High-status singles met at professional events and private clubs.

These days, the dating landscape is drastically different. Those same high-status singles no longer mingle behind velvet ropes. Instead, there's an app for that. Young professionals looking for suitable mates now flock to dating services that cater to an exclusive clientele. Don't meet their standards and you won't be granted entry.

Wondering how high society dates? Here's where the elite look for love:

eHarmony announced free communication from Thursday March 17th to Wednesday March 23rd, 2016. This week long event is available in the United States and Canada.

eHarmony rarely has a 7 day event where you can message all of your matches for free. If you are interested in trying out online dating and the eHarmony service in particular, I would suggest signing up for a free membership today. This way you will have a full week to try out the service at no cost to you and with no credit card required. When you do decide to join make sure to give yourself at least a half hour for the process as it takes that long to fill out your dating profile and answer the questionnaire. Most questions are multiple-choice but some do require a bit of reflecting about yourself. There are no right or wrong answers, you just want to make sure you answer the questions truthfully in terms of your point of view. After all your answers are what is used by the eHarmony matchmaking algorithm to match you with other members who are looking for a long-term relationship.

The free trial is available both on the eHarmony websites and through their dating apps which can be found on Google Play and iTunes. Features not included during this event are skipping the guided communication process and going straight to email. The guided communication component is a key part of eHarmony's process which allows member's to ask and answer questions about each other. These couple of questions allows you to break the ice with your matches and gives you something to talk about when you start to send actual messages to each other. Viewing of profile photo's and the secure phone call service, which allows you to communicate with your matches over the phone but still keep your phone number private, are also not included in this event and are for paid members only.

For more about this popular online matchmaking service, you can read our review of eHarmony.

Maybe you’ve heard the statistics, but if not – pay attention, and turn on your spell check. Correct grammar usage and spelling goes a long way when you’re online dating. In fact, according to recent studies by online dating site Match, bad grammar is one of the biggest turn-offs for men and women – a close second behind poor hygiene.

In other words, make sure you know the difference between "your" and "you’re" before you message a potential match.

Website Grammerly did its own collection of data regarding dating and grammar usage, and came up with some interesting findings. As it turns out, people aren’t only aware of grammar mistakes – they pay attention to the specific words you use, too. Some terms are more attractive than others when you’re writing messages or an online dating profile.

For instance, men who use the word “women” rather than “girls” in their messaging are 28% more successful at getting responses. And those who use the word “whom” correctly do even better – they are 31% more successful than those who use it incorrectly.

Men are a little easier on women overall, but there are certain phrases they don’t like. When women use the words “divorce,” “separate,” or “my ex” they receive 4% fewer messages than those who don’t. (So maybe save your dating histories for the actual date, ladies.)

Spelling can be a big deal too, at least for women. Guys – if you have just two spelling errors in your profile, you reduce your chances of a response by 14%. As for the ladies? Men just aren’t so picky – spelling errors don’t affect their chances of getting a response. (Which may explain why women make nearly twice as many spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes in their messages and profiles than men---it doesn’t seem to matter as much!)

Some other fun stats:

• According to OkCupid, women receive 17 times as many messages as men – which may explain why they can be picky, but don’t have to watch their spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Both men and women rate grammar as more important than confidence in online dating.
• Eighty-eight percent of women judge their dates’ grammar mistakes, compared to 84% who judge their dates by their level of confidence. For men, it was 75% and 69% respectively.
• Men use 21.9% more words than women do in their responses to questions                regarding their online dating profiles.
• Roughly 11% of American adults (24  million people) have used an online dating site or app

Bottom line: check your messages before you hit “send” – it could make a huge difference in your online dating success.

Seeking assistance in the search for love isn't new. From professional matchmaking services to blind dates arranged by friends, human have long sought help in finding soulmates. It's no different in 2016, but these days our efforts are more tech savvy.

According to a survey published by the respected Pew Research Center, 15% of all Americans used online dating sites or mobile apps in 2015. In early 2013, that number was 11%. Broken down, it looks like this:

• 12% of American adults have ever used an online dating site, up slightly from 9% in early 2013.
• 9% of American adults have ever used a dating app on their cellphone. The share of Americans who use dating apps has increased threefold since early 2013 – at that point just 3% of Americans had used these apps.

The Pew Research Center found that online dating's growth has been especially strong with two groups: the youngest adults (ages 18-24), as well as those in their late 50s and early 60s.

The number of 18- to 24-year-olds who report having used online dating has nearly tripled in the last two years. “Today 27% of these young adults report that they have done so,” says Pew Research Center, “up from just 10% in early 2013. Meanwhile, the share of 55- to 64-year-olds who use online dating has doubled over the same time period (from 6% in 2013 to 12% in 2015).”

For the young adult demographic, the growth goes hand in hand with the explosion of mobile dating apps. Twenty-two percent of 18- to 24-year-olds now report using mobile dating apps, a more than fourfold increase from 2013.

Outside of the 15% of American adults who now use dating sites an apps, 41% say they know someone who uses online dating and 29% know someone who has married or entered into a long-term partnership with someone they met online. College graduates and the relatively affluent are most likely to fall into into those two categories.

Though many have tried online dating, or know someone who has, there are mixed opinions on the experience. “On one hand,” writes Pew, “a majority of online dating users agree that dating digitally has distinct advantages over other ways of meeting romantic partners.” The stats reflect the sentiment:

• 80% of Americans who have used online dating agree that online dating is a good way to meet people.
• 62% agree that online dating allows people to find a better match, because they can get to know a lot more people.
• 61% agree that online dating is easier and more efficient than other ways of meeting people.

But it's not all pros. A minority of users noted the potential negative consequences of online dating:

• 45% of online dating users agree that online dating is more dangerous than other ways of meeting people.
• 31% agree that online dating keeps people from settling down, because they always have options for people to date.
• 16% agree with the statement “people who use online dating sites are desperate.”

To peruse the original Pew findings, complete with informative graphs and an explanation of their methodology, visit the Pew Research Center website or visit our own Dating Statistics page.