Dating

Image: Cosmopolitan

Single life is full of ups and downs, and while the dramatic moments are not always fun to live through, they make for great entertainment. Tinder has partnered with women’s lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan to create a branded podcast that digs into what dating is really like across the United States.

‘Single, Swipe, Repeat’ is a 12-episode audio show hosted by Faye Brennan, Sex & Relationships Director of Cosmopolitan. Brennan is joined each week by a celebrity guest host to break down the most memorable, hilarious, emotional, romantic and relatable dating stories shared by Tinder users throughout the country.

A new study from Harvard University found that when people use dating apps, they are 2.7 to 16.2 percent more likely to have an eating disorder than those who don’t use the apps.

Researchers from Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health reported that those who used dating apps were more likely to abuse laxatives or use “unhealthy weight management practices,” according to a report from CNBC regarding the study.

Dating apps like Tinder and others feature photos prominently, with users swiping left and right based on how a potential match looks. This points to why dating app users might be more self-conscious about their bodies and try unhealthy tactics to lose weight.

What do singles value most in potential partners? Is it humor? Generosity? Confidence? Intelligence? eHarmony’s inaugural Singles & Desirability Study, conducted in April 2019 by Harris Interactive, takes a deep dive into what Americans really want out of their dating lives.

The study found that both men and women want a partner who is kind, funny and honest. More than half of all singles said honesty is the most important attribute to consider when deciding who to date. Kindness (44%) and a sense of humor (34%) were named the second and third most desirable traits, respectively. While men were two times more likely than women to prioritize physical attraction, attractiveness ranked fourth overall.

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker - who would fare best on a dating app? A recent study conducted by The Inner Circle analyzed the occupations of 5,000 popular users based in Los Angeles, New York, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Sydney, and Toronto to discover which jobs are most likely to attract potential mates. The findings suggest men and women don’t always seek the same qualities in a match, and that including certain job titles in your profile could significantly boost your desirability.

Women in finance and medicine scored major points across continents. In London, New York and Toronto, female members working in the financial sector received the most right swipes. Women in the medical profession came out on top in Amsterdam in Los Angeles. Ladies in Paris and Sydney proved to be outliers. France’s notoriously stylish capital preferred women working in the fashion industry, while Sydney singles favored women in marketing roles. Other popular industries for women included entertainment, travel, hospitality, law and consulting.

Look at the success of MTV’s Catfish, OkCupid’s omnipresent DTF advertising campaign, and the launch of Tinder-branded candles, and it’s clear online dating has become an indelible part of modern life. Dating platforms have changed the way we meet, the way we speak, the way we entertain ourselves and the way we perceive ourselves.

Recent research from sociologists Michael Rosenfeld and Sonia Hausen of Stanford University and Reuben Thomas of the University of New Mexico reveals the immense influence online dating now wields. According to the study, online dating has become the most popular way for heterosexual couples in the United States to meet. Data from 2009 showed that the percentage of heterosexual couples who met online rose from 0 percent in 1995 to about 22 percent in 2009. Today, that number is closer to 39 percent.

The first date can be a tense moment no matter who you’re seeing, but when you’re meeting a stranger you’ve only communicated with through a dating platform, the stakes are even higher.

So you examine their photos for evidence of editing. You comb through their profile looking for signs they might not be who they say they are. And when that’s not enough, you take your detective powers elsewhere. Some call it stalking, others call it pre-date research - either way, a lot of us are doing it.

Risk mitigation specialists JPD surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out exactly how, and how often, singles investigate prospective mates. According to JPD’s findings, 77 percent of active daters research matches on a regular basis. Of those who do, most spend 15 to 30 minutes conducting their investigations. Some admit to spending 45 minutes or more on research before a date. Only 11 percent said they never research dates at all.