First Comes Tinder, then Comes…Marriage?

Dating apps seem to be the way you date these days, and with so many out there, it can get confusing. Recently or chronically single and in need of a little help? What’s On to the rescue.
Single and like dogs? Tin Dog is a great dating app. Have eclectic taste in music and will only date someone who likes Pearl Jam pre-Jeremy? Then sign up for Tastebuds. Wanna sleep with someone you just walked past on the street? Happn is the app for you.
Not heard of any of these? You are not alone… Among the multitude of dating apps currently available, there are a few strange though intriguing ones, including a couple for those who don’t like Trump or who imbibe in a little Mary Jane from time to time. For the “old fashioned” type the most popular app is still…drum roll…the good ole’ swipe left/swipe right. That’s right, Tinder.

Over 1 Billion Swipes
If you are single, or curious to know how singles are “said to be meeting” these days, then Tinder is a very interesting, if somewhat controversial, but very popular, and free phone app. Whether or not you’ve actually used the application, it’s hard to find anyone over 18 and under 50 who isn’t familiar with Tinder. Though the concept is quite frankly genius, that doesn’t mean it’s going to make it any easier to find “the one”.
Just getting started? Your profile can be linked to Facebook and thus you can choose from all of your amazing photos from the last month or, for some, the last 10 years. It will automatically add your age and, based on your profile, anything you might have added to your FB bio such as job title, company, university, etc.
Although stats show that not everyone on the app is actually single, it is said to be intended for singles within a 100-kilometre proximity to “match”, and then potentially start a conversation, meet, and live happily ever after. Though, most people change the proximity for within 1-5 km in major cities. Likewise, if you are open to both young and old, the age range is from 18 to over 60, though the sweet spot of Tinder users is 23- to 34-years old.
In almost 200 countries, Tinder is considered the number one dating app with over 1 billion “swipes” a day in total. Swiping right and swiping left is lingo the millennial generation is well versed in. For the rest of you, welcome to Tinder 101.

To Swipe Right or Left?
Swipe right if you like/are interested or swipe left if you don’t like/are not interested. That’s really the gist when using this app, and if you think too long you may be missing out. As such, the concept is terribly easy, and while very sensible for some, it may also appear to be shallow and superficial for others. Not least of which because there is also the opportunity to inform the lucky or unlucky seeker what you are looking for or what the other person must have in order to “match”.
As the old saying goes, however, you should not judge a book by its cover, or in this case a person by their photo. Unfortunately, this is where the app gets a bad rap as it tends to separate the more attractive from the less on occasion.
At the end of the day, this and other dating apps tend to be a little more than window shopping for a mate on steroids. But then we live in a world where we can’t live without our phones, and if you are on the prowl for some company, then Tinder provides an opportunity to find it here in the Ukrainian capital – or anywhere else you can find a phone signal.

Swipe right and say hello
In Ukraine, online dating is on the rise, with one of the most most-loved apps being Badoo. In operation since 2006, a full nine years ahead of Tinder, it was founded by a Moscow-based entrepreneur and continues to attract users in the post-Soviet space
Men outrank women in terms of users by 60-65%
People here in Ukraine sign up for dating apps for very different reasons – some are looking to make new friends, others are just “bored”, with the most oft-cited reason being sex
Stats show that out of 100 mutual likes, only half will actually have a dialogue, while dates happen only 10% of the time. The majority of relationships established end within approximately two months
The moral: if you’re looking for real love in Ukraine, get off your phone.

Top Tips for Tinder-users
To get the most out of your Tinder experience, let me suggest you post as many pictures as possible, which is up to six, and make sure they clearly identify you. I get the back of your body, head, or side angle is particularly popular in this part of the world, but that’s not going to help you get your dream date. If you are a 5 – 1 being the bottom of the attractiveness scale and 10 being the top, then you want the other 3,4,5,6,7s to see you. Also, and this is more for the ladies, it’s my suggestion you keep your photos real, which means, for example, no posting photos of yourself in a ballgown (if you’re not Miss Ukraine) or an equestrian jacket holding the reigns of horse (if you don’t actually know how to ride a horse). This is cheating. Also, I think it safe to say that photos of you in a bikini, tightly-fitting blouse, or skimpy skirt is going to get a specific reaction. If you are posting these types of photos, then don’t hold out for any messages from good Orthodox Christian church-going gents who want to introduce you to mom over Sunday dinner.
Though the photography business in Ukraine is thriving and well for the girls, my advice for the guys is not that different. Six pack or no, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had one (though I’ve also been told by women it’s not as big a turn-on as men seem to think), keep the photos real. That means no posing with tigers or Mike Tyson, like you’re the best of pals.
As for locations, I’ll leave that up to you. But I will tell you this: I laugh every time I come across a woman posing on top of a car because 99% of the time the car isn’t theirs. Furthermore, cars aren’t cool. Jets are cool. However, if you have a photo of yourself on a jet, then you probably don’t need this app.
My last piece of advice relates to your bios, 90% of which includes the likes of

• “Generous men only”
• “No greedy men”
• “I am not interested in virtual meetings, so message me for a real meeting when in Kyiv only”
• “Yes, I speak English and if I am not in Ukraine, I am in Dubai”
• “Don’t waste my time”
• “I am not interested in ONS and want a serious relationship”
• “I like to travel, Louis Vuitton bags, and as many flowers as I can possibly hold without falling over” (okay, this last one is a joke, though not far off the truth).

Ladies – come on! Write something real. Guys, you too.
In closing, let me just say this: skip the putting your hand through your hair, tippy toe left, black and white profile with you caught mid-air jumping next to the ocean or the Eiffel Tower photos. If you have beautiful eyes – let them sparkle; great lips and hair – flaunt them. But sitting in an S Class when you don’t even know what the S stands for is tacky.
I think all 1-10s deserve a “match” on whatever dating app you use. So with all this good advice, go forth good people of Kyiv and start swiping!

If you are posting certain types of photos, then don’t hold out for any messages from good Orthodox Christian church-going gents who want to introduce you to mom for Sunday dinner