It was a simple notification on his phone that brought a smile to Sanjit’s face, a few months ago. It was a match with Pooja! A heartbroken Sanjit Karapurkar had taken to Tinder after spending a few weeks sulking and nursing a wounded heart post his breakup with his girlfriend of 3 years, when a dear friend advised him to try online dating apps to find love. Cut to present, Sanjit is in a steady relationship with Pooja and they’re going strong.
The concept of dating and romance has undergone tremendous changes over the years, thanks to technology that is developing at breakneck speed. While the rest of the world has been making use of online dating apps like Tinder, OKCupid, Hitch, etc for the past few years, India is now waking up to this more convenient means of finding love. In a recent announcement, Tinder said that in November last year, it had witnessed a 400% increase in downloads in India over the previous year. The app has also been a big hit among women in the country, who have typically kept away from dating sites. The success of Tinder in India has encouraged several Indian entrepreneurs to set up similar matchmaking services that include TrulyMadly, Woo, Matchify, Hitch, etc.
According to popular feedback, most of these apps serve the same purpose – that of bringing two people together, yet vary in their functionality and user interface. OKCupid allows the user to connect and browse through the matches available nearby and quickly review photos and other details about them. The app will also ask one to fill in various details in their profile and answer different questions. Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps worldwide, allows the users to browse through various profiles and make a connection. If you swipe right on anyone and they also swipe right on you, Tinder notifies the user that it’s a match and one can start chatting with them and go on a date later. Another app, Woo, helps you meet the people who have similar interests as yours. The app lets you check out profiles and go through detailed bios available on the app. Moreover, the users also have the opportunity to reconsider someone if they are not sure at that moment. You can also find your love through the TagSearch feature or by answering and asking interesting questions.
While most of the above mentioned apps work towards the motive of getting the user a date, the process from there on – that of nurturing the relationship, is in all obviousness, the user’s responsibility. But fret not for technology’s got your back! Considering that giving your partner something that seems impersonal or last minute could be one of the biggest mistakes of Valentine’s Day, websites like phoolwala.com, floweraura.com, etc offer a menu of stems and arrangements on their website. A few clicks is all it takes to send a fresh bouquet to the object of your affection.
Regardless of whether one has the luxury of living in close proximity with their partner or one is in a long-distance relationship, the dynamics of love and romance seldom change. Things that could not have been achieved until a few years ago, with regard to fulfilling the expectations of your partner and nurturing the relationship, can now be done, (leaving no room for excuses) with the help of handy mobile applications. And if things still go wrong, you may have to wait a little longer until apps that resolve break-ups are developed.
