After reading more than a few articles about Tinder and the Tinderella Project, on Sept, 12th 2014 exactly 28-days ago (yeah 28-days like any rehab process) I decided to start my own social experiment. My objectives were clear:
- To analyze the changes in the way we communicate/relate
- To proof that online dating stigma is pretty much gone.
I used the app in London, Madrid and Costa Rica. It would be lovely to have access to their database and get some demographics stats but that is not my aim, even though I found that the amount of female users is significantly lower (yeah had to set it as looking for men and women, research purposes) .
Something I find absolutely unbelievable is the double speech of the users: users of dating app (FYI designed to safe «dating time») who want to meet face-to-face ASAP… ME don’t get it! And it was hilarious when they freak out with some random personal questions that I could make with just googling some facts that they have shared, my favorite one was the one that asked me if I was a private investigator that his former wife hired.
Then besides some really weird exceptions , what I came across was with a bunch of shy guys looking for an easy hook up and some twisted sadomasochist. At some point of my project I almost gave up, because even if the swiping left/right is funny I started to wonder if there is a Tinder for smart people, no mean to offend but gosh at least some creativity that «what are you wearing?» honestly sucks…
Had to face/deal with 10001 stereotypes about being a Latina in Europe and not being a normal woman in Costa Rica (understanding normal as what is s accepted socioculturally). Plus a few huge words by those who felt offended and sort of guinea pigs « I thought I had a connection with you and share some really personal stuff and for you to what show your class yeah not very nice»
I consider it can be quite useful if you are into languages, to launch the app at an airport, easy way to find someone to practice with.
But my major discovery was that one individual who DID NOT freak out neither felt offended after I basically stalked him and his family: something was not working as «ordinary» people just freak out when I am on the search-o-holic mode.
I like to be busy searching «useless» data and love the way people react (freak out to be honest) when I «unveil» them but the 28-days are over (thank God, Jswipe might be next LOL), communications are dynamic, will keep evolving and it’s gonna take a while for the online dating stigma to be consider gone.
P.S.: I am not apologizing to those who felt offended, won’t apologize for being me neither for the way they might have interpret my project but I am really thankful for the help provided.
And yes I’m a B.I.T.C.H (Beautiful, Intelligent,Talented, Charming, Hell of a woman)
Honest Mess 