Dating in apps and video chats: how much time and money should be spent on the search for happiness?

In the modern world, online dating services have become an integral part of the lives of many people. According to a Pew Research Center study, more than 30% of Americans use dating sites and apps today, and 12% of them have successfully found their partner or spouse online. In fact, the US is not leading regarding this issue. The percentage is higher in some other countries!

Reasons contemporaries increasingly prefer online dating and meeting online:

Convenience: People can get acquainted without leaving home. This is convenient for those who live in small towns or who are trying to find a partner in another country where they do not know anyone.

Large selection: Online dating provides a wide range of potential partners and friends. You can easily choose people who match your interests, hobbies, and life values.

Game element: Dating services introduce elements of gamification for reasons such as swipes, matches, tests, polls, etc. The game makes the process of finding a soul mate even more exciting with gambling features.

Anonymity: Many people feel more comfortable when they can communicate with other people anonymously. This can help them become more open and honest during the dating process.

Saving time: Online dating can help save time that you would spend looking for a partner or friends in real life. You can quickly view the profiles of other users and choose the ones you like without wasting time.

As a matter of fact, the list of advantages of online dating can be very long. This is a very good choice for those who do not have the opportunity or desire to meet offline or someone who wants to expand their horizons and not limit themselves. However, the choice of high-quality online dating services is very extensive.

What dating sites do contemporaries choose and why?

According to rough estimates from different research, currently, there are about 8,000 online dating services in the world. Certainly, not all of them deserve your attention, but some of them are more popular and interesting. For clarity, we will consider several options that you should definitely try ve specifically chosen the ones that are free or almost free to use:

Badoo: This is one of the most popular and largest dating platforms in the world; it has about 500 million users in 190 countries. Badoo allows you to view profiles and photos of other people, as well as communicate with them via text messages, voice calls, or video chat. Additionally, the platform offers various features for searching and filtering potential partners by geolocation, interests, age, and other parameters.

Bumble: This is a dating app where ladies take the lead. Unlike other dating services, only ladies on Bumble can make the first move and start a conversation with a man. This helps to avoid unwanted messages and increases the chances of mutual feelings. Also, Bumble has two additional modes; Bumble BFF for finding friends and Bumble Bizz for networking and career development.

Hinge: The developers of this app say it is designed to be remote. According to them, Hinge was created so that you can get out of the endless circle of search and find the right person. The platform uses a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm that matches potential partners based on the compatibility of personalities, interests, and preferences.

OmeTV — a good video chat, offering its users a gender filter, a message translator and pretty good mobile apps. Otherwise, this is a classic chatroulette with all of the expected advantages and disadvantages.

OmegleTV: This is a premium video chat and a great alternative to Ome.TV for those who need a gender filter and better moderation. CooMeet knows how to connect men with ladies only and does not make mistakes. In addition, there is a built-in message translator, thanks to which it will be comfortable for you to communicate with people from other countries.

Omega: This is a video chat that is similar to Omegle in many ways, but has an important advantage; gender filter. However, keep in mind that this filter does not work as accurately when compared to CooMeet, yet, its presence is a big plus for users.

Camsurf: This is another good Omegle alternative with richer features. Gender and geographical filters are available, as well as search by interests. If you pay for a premium subscription, you will get additional features such as location hiding, introductory message, and gathering of followers for your social networks.

Evidently, the choice is quite large. Also, we havent considered all the popular dating services that are worth paying attention to. However, since we've talked about the benefits of online dating, it's worth pointing out some of the disadvantages.

Some disadvantages and nuances of online dating

One of the problems with online dating is that it can be addictive. People aimlessly launch the app over and over again, see if there are incoming messages, swipe the same profiles, wait for new likes, and crave attention. This is an addiction that is sometimes very hard to get over.

How can one avoid it?

We can give you some recommendations:

Set a time limit for online dating: For example, check new messages once a day or only at certain times. Also, try not to spend more than 20–30 minutes a day on dating sites and apps.

Focus on your goal: It is very important to understand what you want for yourself from new acquaintances; Friendship? Love? Or simple communication without many prospects? Realizing your own goal will greatly simplify life for you and your new acquaintances.

Keep healthy skepticism in mind when dating online: Some people may use photographs that do not match their actual appearance, or give false information about their identity. In this case, it is important to be careful in all you do, and most importantly, dont believe everything you are told on the Internet.

Another serious disadvantage of online dating is the risk of being scammed. There are no exact statistics on how many people in the world are facing this particular issue. However, in 2019, a study was conducted in the United States, where it was discovered that more than 60% of users of dating services have encountered scammers. Thats a lot!

Nonetheless, in random video chats like Omegle, the percentage is lesser. This is easy to explain; scammers are not eager to show their faces to potential victims, so the random video chat format is not suitable for them. Take note of this!

We can also give some additional security tips:

Be vigilant and trust your intuition: When dating online, listen to your inner mind. If something seems suspicious or unusual to you, dont ignore it. Fraudsters may use a variety of tactics to scam you. If a person causes you doubts, it is better to stop communication and move on to another interlocutor.

Check if profiles and photos are real: Scammers often use fake profiles with stolen photos from the internet. Do some research before you trust someone or enter into a serious relationship. Try to check the information provided by the person youre talking to and do a Google image search to make sure the photos arent copies of someone elses. 

Do not send money to strangers under any circumstances: Fraudsters may use various pretexts to steal money from you. For example, they may claim that they are experiencing serious health problems or financial difficulties. Never send money to strangers, even if they seem very honest and sincere.

Generally, follow the rules of Internet security if you want new meetings to give you positive emotions and bright impressions only. We wish you good luck and promising online dating in your search!