Confessions of a dating app voyeur

Like so many other modern, urban-dwelling twentysomethings, I've dedicated more time than I'd like to admit to dating apps. I've spent hours upon hours meticulously swiping through profiles, searching for some resonant spark within the endless stream of smiling faces.

Real connections might be few and far between, but simply meeting someone can be as easy as picking up my iPhone. Swipe right a few times on Tinder or Bumble, make a few matches, kickstart a conversation, maybe go on a date or two — it can become a grating cycle if you let it, even if you're not intent on finding lasting love. 

I don't use dating apps much anymore; I'm in a different place in life right now. But even though I'm not an active swiper, I haven't been able to bring myself to delete my dating profiles. Part of that likely comes from my flighty streak, so I always have the option to jump back into the dating pool on a whim — but it's mostly because I often find myself opening the apps to look back on the missed connections, the matches that never resulted in anything more than a face on my phone screen.  Read more...