Perfect match: Dating apps help couples find love at first swipe
DATING apps are changing the face of how Victorians meet their match as couples who swiped right for love lead a new generation of weddings for a digital era.
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COUPLES who swiped right for love are leading a new generation of weddings for a digital era.
Dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble are changing the face of how Victorians meet their match as the stigma associated with online dating is lost forever.
Data has revealed Tinder users swiped right on a profile image 23 billion times last year alone.
Experts suggest around 30 per cent of people in their 20s are using a dating app of some kind, but Deakin University Professor Gery Karantzas said ease of access didn’t necessarily mean an easy road to love.
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“There is no hard evidence to suggest it increases the chances of success, but it does increase the pool of opportunity,’’ Prof Karantzas said.
“A user’s hit rate increases but their miss rate does too.’’
He said while the research was still catching up with the usage, there was anecdotal evidence to suggest some people simply used dating apps to boost their self esteem.
“Like social media platforms that provide validation, there is evidence suggesting some users do it just to get the ‘likes’ or the ‘swipe right’.’’
Critics have warned the dating apps have changed the scene to such an extent that men and women now lack the courage for an organic encounter in clubs or bars, preferring to hide behind an online profile until they feel a potential relationship has merit.
Global dating app Tinder dominates the Australian market, with the nation the No. 1 country for users per capita.
Victoria falls down the rankings when it comes to the states where members lure the most likes.
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Queensland remains the swipe-right state, followed by New South Wales and Western Australia. Victoria claims fifth place, with Tasmania last.
In 2014, the popular app didn’t have any paying members, but has surged in growth to have more than 2.5 million subscribers this year, making it one of the top-five grossing non-gaming apps globally.
But Bumble, a similar app that encourages women to make the first move, has emerged as an even stronger contender.
Spokeswoman Michelle Battersby said downloads of the app have quadrupled in the past 12 months, with the application already extended to include connections for platonic friendships and even business relationships.
“We are seeing a huge rise in uptake and growth due to the connection mechanism and the fact it’s up to the women to make the first move,’’ Ms Battersby said.
The Bumble business networking adjunct is set to launch next month, aimed predominantly at women who want to increase their professional connections.
She said the Bumble BFF inclusion offered the opportunity for everybody from tourists looking for like-minded travellers to share an adventure, to young mums in new areas the chance to meet others.
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“When I started Bumble here in Australia, there was still a stigma associated with app dating,’’ Ms Battersby said.
“But I think we are really starting to set a different tone.’’
Bumble has 27 million registrations globally, and Australia is the fourth-largest market.
In 2017, over 15,000 new users in Australia joined Bumble in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day — with forecast usage this year expected to increase by up to 30,000.
Peak activity for Bumble begins a full week before Valentine’s Day with a 10 per cent spike in daily users.
Users experience 23 per cent more matches and women initiate conversations with 18 per cent more matches in this period.
Electrician James Gangell said he found his partner, Stefanie, on a dating app and hadn’t looked back.
“We just clicked,’’ he said. “She knows me. I know her.’’
The 30-year-old said three years since they met, the couple was now preparing to move into a new house together and had booked an overseas holiday.
“I think when you say that you met your partner on a dating app, people are far more accepting of it these days,” he said.
“There is less scepticism and it is more socially acceptable.’’
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Couples saw stars at first swipe
FROM the moment they “swiped right” Jason Ingram and Mimi Venker knew they were on to something.
Having both been in previous relationships, the pair turned to Tinder to test the singles market.
“The first person I matched with was Mimi,’’ Mr Ingram said. “We had an hour catch-up and I couldn’t believe my luck.’’
Ms Venker admitted her new beau was among five other coffee dates within a week.
“Straight away I think we realised that we had something deeper, that this wasn’t just going to be a hook-up. It just grew from there,’’ she said.
The pair got engaged after a trip to New York last year and got married at the Royal Botanic Gardens last week.
Ballarat couple Rohan and Emma Muller also tied the knot just last week after meeting on the dating app.
“I was over the whole dating thing,’’ Mrs Muller said.
“But it looked like fun. So I joined up and started looking.
“Saw a man with a cheetah and I thought, yes! I swiped right and it was a match.’’
The couple now has a seven-month-old boy.
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50 shades of Shepparton
REGIONAL Shepparton has been declared Victoria’s capital for romance — at least on paper.
The Goulburn Valley hub has topped the state for sales of romantic fiction, according to new data released by book publisher Mills and Boon.
The taboo topics of wild sex and heated romance are a surprise hit in working-class towns and suburbs.
Bendigo, Cheltenham, areas of Geelong and Frankston also posted strong sales of romance novels.
Sexologist Isiah McKimmie said erotic novels were so popular in quieter suburbs because people had less access to the plethora of erotic products on offer in busier areas.
“Women living in inner-city and urban areas may have access to a greater variety of erotic resources such as women’s sensuality and pleasure stores, so they may be buying alternatives,” she said.
“As someone originally from the country myself I notice that when I’m out of the city, I have more time for things like reading than in the city.
“This may further be impacted by the hours women are working.”
But, Ms McKimmie added, the data could also mean residents in quieter towns are having more sex than anyone else.
“Some research has shown that women who read romantic or erotic novels have more sex than those who don’t.”
Nationwide, Penrith in NSW, Toowoomba in Queensland, Launceston in Tasmania, and WA port town Bunbury, are leading the love charge.
The typical Australian reader of Mills and Boon books was a married woman aged 40 with two teenage children, and more than 50 per cent of the 838 readers who were surveyed said they wanted more romance in their lives.
The research was released by the publisher, who is known internationally for its romantic fiction, to mark the release of its new DARE range of novels.
“With busy lives — and seemingly little romantic time with their partner — women may be turning to erotic novels to find excitement and reignite passion,” Ms McKimmie added.
Popular author Jo Grant confirmed the notion of “escapism” for people stuck in a routine, adding the “pursuit of love” in erotic novels was a fantasy concept.
For love of a dare
WHEREVER you live — and whatever style of romance you like — here’s an opportunity to create the love fantasy of your dreams.
The DARE Search for a Romance Writer competition is letting Aussies unleash their creative talent by dreaming up a heart-pounding story idea.
If you’d like to enter just submit a 100-word plot outline and a short example scene.
Prizes include a masterclass with a Mills & Boon DARE editor and author, plus gift packs valued at more than $500; and the chance to be published.
Head to millsandboon.com.au/daretowrite/ and get started. You’ll find helpful hints from top author Clare Connelly.
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