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For some of us, face-to-face contact while your mental health is at a low point can be incredibly difficult.

According to researchers at Ohio State University, people who describe themselves as lonely and socially anxious are more likely to become addicted to dating apps.

269 college students were surveyed for the study, which found that participants who referred to themselves as anxious and lonely were increasingly addicted to the online platforms.

Addiction can be described as a habit which interferes with your daily life, be it your mental health, physical health, work life, friendships, romantic relationships, family life or school life. 

One of the lead researchers said of the results that socially anxious people must watch their habits more; "Especially if you're lonely, be careful in your choices. Regulate and be selective in your use."

The more mindful practice is called 'slow dating' and it can increase the quality of your dating app matches.

Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and OKCupid have made it possible for people to access a wide dating pool, but the consequences of this could be negative for those who deal with chronic loneliness.

To test this, researchers had students answered online survey questions like "Are you constantly anxious around other people?" to determine their levels of social anxiety and loneliness.

They were also asked whether they agreed with statements like "I am unable to reduce the amount of time I spend on dating apps." A sense of security was found online, rather than in person.

The researchers discovered that people with higher levels of social anxiety claimed they preferred to meet people on dating apps rather than in person, and favoured socialising via messaging.

Many of these people with social anxiety may lack confidence in their own social skills, and can seek protection on these apps form face-to-face rejection or awkwardness.

When those in the survey reported being both socially anxious and lonely, they also used dating apps to the point of addiction.

However, students who said they were anxious but not lonely, or those who said their feelings of loneliness were only low to moderate, didn't display behaviours that suggested addiction.

The small study relied on self-reported data from students, so don't be overly worried about your constant dating app use. Mindfulness is still a priority, for your health and dating prospects.

Creating limits surrounding dating apps could benefit both your mental health and your chances of scoring a decent date.

Bear in mind that your motive should be healthy. It's a dangerous notion to rely on interest from men or women for your own happiness or self-esteem.

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Workplace romance is becoming a little vintage, it would seem. Except less fashionable.

the office GIF

Just one-in-10 couples (11 percent) are now finding love in the workplace, according to a new report.  Nearly one-in-five romances in 1990 were forged at work, in comparison. Back in the day, things were clearly done differently.

They were also times when people stayed at the same job their entire lives though, and most likely met less people, seeing as travel options were less extensive. If you are struggling to find love or need advice on your current relationship, consider seeking guidance from Nebula. Nebula offers a platform for individuals to receive psychic love readings and relationship advice from experienced and trusted psychics. With Nebula, you can gain insight into your love life and improve your chances of finding happiness and fulfillment in your relationships.

The research was published in the latest ‘How Couples Meet and Stay Together Study’ from Stanford University.

Nichi Hodgson, author of The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder, in an interview with Yahoo UK claims that striking up a relationship with a colleague is now “less sociably acceptable”.

Despite the fact that we’re spending longer hours in the workplace, we are now more cautious than ever about a co-worker relationship turning into something romantic, according to Hodgson, due to the #MeToo movement.

The movement aims to tackle workplace sexual harassment and assault, and has been building since Tarana Burke started it back in 2006. It caught fire in 2017 after the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke.

 

Nichi Hodgeson claims that “workplace relationships need to be conducted very carefully to ensure there’s no breach of company behavioural guidelines.” I mean, it ain’t that hard not to be a creep.

Hodgson also argues that we shouldn’t necessarily be disappointed by the end of the workplace romance:

“They don’t necessarily show you someone’s true colours – you won’t see how tender or angry someone can be at work, for example, because the majority of people are on their best behaviour,” she says.

“Just because they’re a good team player at work doesn’t mean they necessarily will be in a relationship.”

season 2 flirting GIF by Blunt Talk

Online dating and apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and OK Cupid are now taking the lead in bringing people together, with almost one-in-four (39 percent) of heterosexual couples meeting through those platforms.

This is an increase since 2009, when the stats showed 22 percent of hetero couples meeting online, according to the Stanford University findings.

Meeting through friends is still a popular means of finding your future partner, but it’s much less common than it was in the past. Over a third (34 percent) of people met this way in 1990, but it’s now just one in five (20 percent)

“Dating apps may have only been around for a decade but they have a radical hold on our affections when it comes to meeting a partner, mainly because they are so convenient in our ever time-pressed lives,” Hodgson says.

the boss kiss GIF by Kim's Convenience

“They’re not necessarily leading to better connections though for multiple reasons – they create a paradox of choice, giving us too many people to choose between when social scientists tell us we get cognitive overload somewhere between five and nine options,” she continues.

“Dating apps are encouraging us to be ruder with behaviours,” Hodgson adds, which is due to a “lack of accountability needed from users”. Overall, Hodgson believes that dating apps can still lead to a stable, long-term match.

“When we do finally choose a serious partner from a dating app, we are likely to stick with them – we are taking longer to settle on someone but that is producing more stable long-term matches when we finally commit.”

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We've all been casually swiping left on a loop until a gorgeous Golden Retriever stops us in our tracks.

Be it a golden-furred Labrador beauty, a tiny terrier puppy with baby paws or a King Charles; dogs melt our hearts and urge us to swipe right.

Many of us believe that inserting dog photos into our dating profiles will garner us more dating app matches, but now a representative from OkCupid may just have confirmed this.

Elite Daily spoke to Michael Kaye, Global Communications Manager at OkCupid, and according to him, adding pictures of dogs in your dating app profile is proven to make it more successful when it comes to matches;

"We actually have millions of dog mentions in OkCupid profiles," Kaye says.

"Users with dog mentions have a higher probability of initial conversation over those with cat mentions. They also have a higher reply rate."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by  (@citruslucy) on

OkCupid also discovered that a love of dogs is something most people agree on; 

"We found that 81 percent of men and 80 percent of women on OkCupid like dogs," Kaye continues. "Additionally, 84 percent of women and 80 percent of men either own a dog or would love to."

Kaye also claims that has been a 422 percent increase in dog mentions on OkCupid profiles since 2017. Everyone must be catching on to the trend…

Gabrielle Aboodi, the Senior Account Executive for Tinder, also told Elite Daily that dating app users are in love with doggos.

"Users typically respond to photos that include animals or travelling shots," she says, adding that roughly 10 percent of both men and women include dogs in their photos.

UK-based pet food company Webbox carried out a two-week social experiment called Pet Wingman, where they tried to find out whether including your dog in your Tinder or Bumble profile boosted your chances of finding a match, and the results were positive.

Women saw an increase of 69 percent more matches when they included a dog in one or more of their pictures, while men saw an increase of 38 percent more matches.

For Tinder, women received 117 percent more matches, 150 percent more messages, 100 percent more super likes, and 122 percent more total interactions.

Men on Tinder received 30 percent more matches, 75 percent more messages, 200 percent more super likes, and 53 percent more total interactions.

Dog photos lead to just as much success on Bumble as they did on Tinder for male users of the app.

For Bumble, women received 22 percent more matches, 100 percent more super likes, and 30 percent more total interactions, while men on Bumble received 45 percent more matches, 40 percent more messages, and 39 percent more total interactions.

"Bumble users often include photos of their pets on their profiles, but they can also use Bumble filters and badges to specially match with people that are also dog lovers," Bumble's Global PR Coordinator Sang Lee commented.

"In fact, our data shows that our pet badge is one of the most popular badges alongside our star sign badge."

There you have it, single ladies and gents. Ruffly the entire population loves woofers, so kickstart that photoshoot and add some swipe right-worthy paw pics to your profile.

You'd be barking mad not to (sorry…).

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June is Pride month, in case you haven't noticed the onslaught of rainbows on every corporation's logo over the last two weeks, but we've got another matter in mind to address: Dating apps.

Most of us haven't yet realised that the most popular dating apps around are heavily tailored towards heterosexual, cisgender people.

Why not spread the love around, eh? Give queer people, gender non-binary folk, trans people, gay men and lesbians a shot at swiping right.

respect yourself lisa kudrow GIF

We've gathered our top five best dating apps for queer people, so grab your Pride and get on the Swipe Slide. 

1. Her

Her is, without a doubt, one of the best dating apps for lesbian, bisexual and queer women.

Why? It's simple: It was made BY queer women FOR queer women, rather than just creating a heteronormative app and then tailoring it for lesbians.

We absolutely love Her's unapologetic approach to love, and their respect for intersectional inclusion for those of all races, sexes and gender-identities. 

Don't let the name fool you: The site is one of the most popular dating apps for both cisgender and non-binary people looking to meet other queer women or non-binary people.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by  (@hersocialapp) on

The app allows users to create a social media-like presence through profiles and queer event suggestions, allowing you to meet people in the flesh. Love is in the air, for everyone this time.

2. Lesly

Dating apps created specifically for lesbians and bisexual+ women seem like few and far between; enter Lesly.

The site works similarly to Tinder, and uses photo-based profiles that you can swipe left or right for.

On this app, however, you'll only find queer women and no straight men looking to creep on lesbian women…Thank the Lord.

Image: Lesly

3. Fem

Fem is a dating app geared towards lesbians and those interested in meeting lesbians. Despite the language, which appears to exclude trans people and gender-non binary folk, the app isn't only for lesbians.

Queer women of any and all sexual orientations and gender presentations use it successfully, and the app encourages users to make video profiles. There's also a group chat setting.

Making a video profile isn't compulsory, so don't worry if being in front of the camera isn't your thing. Just upload a killer selfie, and get swiping.

Image: FEM

4. OkCupid

While OkCupid began by focusing almost exclusively on straight people, it has now developed to become far more welcome towards the queer community.

The site have added a rake of new gender identity and sexual orientation option, and has more extensive user profiles so it's great for finding a real, romantic connection for a long-term, relationship/

They ask a huge amount of questions when you download the app, but the detailed profiles definitely pay off.

5. Hinge

Hinge sets up potential partners through their mutual friends on Facebook.

It only matches you with friends of friends, so you're never meet with someone too far outside of your social circle, rather than basing matches on location.

The site allows you to answer questions about yourself in your profile, meaning it's more in-depth than Tinder or BumbleHinge also sends you daily ‘batches’ of matches, so it's pretty good for progress.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hinge (@hinge) on

That sums up our top five dating apps for queer folk, but don't forget that Bumble and Tinder still work for the LGBT+ community, they just weren't initially made for them.

There are other great LGBT+ dating apps like Taimi. And not forgetting Grindr and Chappy that are KEY for gay men, with Grindr working incredibly successfully for hook-ups and Chappy supporting long-term gay relationships. All we can say is…YAS.

Happy Pride, folks. Find some romance, even if it's just self-love. If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love anyone else?"

.daily show gay GIF

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Are you ready to start dating again after a brutal break-up or determined to find ‘the one’? Then make a note of January 5 in your diary because it is reportedly the best day for online dating.

Online dating isn’t for everyone, but many met their beau on here, Tinder, Bumble and co. and the rest is history.

According to Coffee Meets Bagel, this Sunday, January 5 will be one of the most popular days for online dating with millions of messages expected to be sent.

January tends to be one of the busiest months for dating apps and there’s actually a pretty valid reason why. We have spent the holidays with our families and if you’re a single lady then all they tend to ask is when you’re going to settle down? And if you’ve heard from lovely George you kissed when you were in primary school?

These questions may drive us crazy but they do leave you pondering about your love life.

Another thing that encourages us to sign up to dating apps is being surrounded by love during the holiday season. Christmas and New Year is a joyous time of year, especially for couples. It can make people seem extra lovey dovey, whether that’s your aunt and her husband or Jude Law and Cameron Diaz in The Holiday. 

That lovin’ feeling can be infectious so no wonder single folk are eager to find a decent lad or lady once January rolls around.

Speaking to Quartz, dating expert Dawoon Kang explained: “Dating Sunday is a mixture of New Year’s resolutions and winding down the weekend.”

Happy swiping everyone.

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Are you consistently getting ghosted on dating apps? Tired of always being left 'on read'? Completely jaded with swiping all day with nothing to show for it, and heading on disastrous dates every weekend?

Well, RTÉ Two are here to save the dating day, with their brand new show which targets young singles looking for love; Pulling With My Parents.

The show intends to follow people from all over Ireland who are stuck in a merry-go-round of bad dates and dating apps, and who are willing to go to drastic lengths to crack Cupid.

How drastic, you ask? Parental interference…that's how drastic. 

single bad date GIF by GIPHY Dating

Basically, you'd hand over the romance reins to Mum and Dad and see what happens. Sounds dangerous to us, but infinitely entertaining to watch. Sorry, not sorry.

Parents will roll up their sleeves and give their kids' dating profiles an old-fashioned overhaul, replacing those spicy selfies with something more regal in order to find them a suitable lover.

We're sure these parents will be needing a major crash course in emoji culture, and slang for social media. However, Mum and Dad will be trying some more traditional solutions to get their kids a son or daughter-in-law.

Be it a personal ad in the Farmer's Journal, good old arranged marriage or plucking a date from the local GAA club, these parents will go the extra mile to find their kids love.

tv land tinder GIF by YoungerTV

The series will no doubt be exploring the deepest corners of the generation gap, but we're expecting to be cringing the entire time watching it.

Think First Dates paired with Sun, Sea and Suspicious Parents, and that's the show you're looking at. We have to say, it sounds absolutely gas.

Does your Mum really know what's best for you? Does your Dad know how to find the man for the job? Why not apply for a chance to be on the show and track the love of your life.

Apply for the RTÉ dating app show by emaiing dating@Alleycats.tv, and change your love life today.

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There's something about January that makes people feel the need to search for the next love of their life, apparently.

Maybe the new year just makes us feel just a lil bit… broody? The first Sunday of the new year happens to be the most popular online dating day of the calendar year, according to Hinge.

Whether you're hungry for a new job, a new place to settle or a new gal or guy to send all of our heart emojis to, the turning of time urges us to reevaluate parts of our lives which may feel lacking in some way.

tv land tinder GIF by YoungerTV

January 6 is so popular in terms of online dating apps that it has been dubbed "Dating Sunday", and industry experts are predicting that 2019 will be bigger than ever for the online love world.

Hinge analysed activity data from 2016 until 2018, and saw a massive spike in conversations, as well as far more dates being arranged and a much higher messaging response rate. Gas.

In 2017 there was an increase of 41 percent of people who began conversations on Dating Sunday than the week before- and in 2018 that figure rose to 59 percent. Jaysis, these numbers don't lie, do they?

perfect match art by GIF IT UP

62 percent more users set up dates on Dating Sunday in 2018, and Hinge also reported increased in daily user activity, with 20 percent more conversations being carried out and a 36 percent higher message response rate.

Singles who are seeking love clearly become influenced after Christmas ends and the parties simmer down, will you be swiping right today?

We might just go and update those profile pictures seeing as the competition is higher… bring on the messages, lads.

fox tv GIF by STAR

We're ready for it. *Winks*

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September 12 2012 completely changed the landscape of online dating, when a pair of entrepreneurs launched an app which would connect millions upon millions of potential couples. 

Facilitating hook-ups, true love, long-term relationships and the occasional unsolicited WhatsApp dick pic, the app revolutionised the prior preconceptions people had about dating online. 

Tinder brought online dating right to our phones, making it more accessible and user-friendly for the millennial generation – and on the 6th anniversary of the app's launch, we're reflecting on six tales of wow and woe when it comes to the app. 

Terror:

'I've had more horror stories than good when it comes to Tinder, but the one that almost put me off for life (almost!) was when the guy in question met me outside the restaurant and quickly explained he'd "had one or two" in the pub across the road to calm the nerves. This was fine. Dutch courage, I get that. But the whole evening was quite bizarre. He kept insisting that I looked like I wasn't having a good time and would I prefer to just go home now? I thought, up to this point, that I had been very chatty and pleasant – I was doing most of the talking! Then our food arrived. He quickly said the food wasn't great (I had recommended the restaurant, so…opps?) and then proceeded to eat the spaghetti – with his fingers. No, I'm not kidding.

Then, dessert time. I politely say I won't have another but would he like a coffee? He says I'll just order another. No, not a drink. An entire bottle of wine. Which he drank. To himself. He stumbled out the door and down the stairs (I don't know how we both didn't topple down and kill ourselves) and to the bus stop, while I wearily went to get a taxi and thought, 'Never Again.' – Anonymous

'As a single-mum taking on the dating scene, I don’t have much time to waste. Friends gave me a gentle nudge to dip my toe back into the water by trying online dating – let the hunger games begin. First off, 90 percent of men, once they found out that I birthed a child, disappeared. Secondly, I was very selective with who I chose to go on a date with, as organising a babysitter (thanks mum), and going out – is very much a luxury for me, so I wanted to make sure I would have a good night. Whilst I did have some success with it and met one incredible guy, we all know you’re here for the ugly – so let’s cut straight to it. I get asked to drinks by what seems like a relatively nice guy, we had spoken for a while and I got those good vibes.

However, the day of the date, I find his Instagram – cue 10,000 shots of him topless – okay, we get it – you’ve got abs to die for. My gut was a little worried about my find, but my brain talked myself around in still going for a scoop (BAD CHOICE). When I finally meet ab guy; the funny, charming and talkative guy online, had nothing to say for himself. I am usually quite talkative and am comfortable around people, but his silence threw me entirely – out came my word vomit and here commenced the digging of the grave for this date. I got more and more nervous to WHY ON EARTH this guy wasn’t saying a word, despite asking him a million questions. – Was it nerves? Shyness? Or was it me? After four hours straight of talking myself into several holes; he announced he was leaving. – Probably one of 30 words he said all night. – THANK THE LORD. BUT WAIT: He INSISTED on walking me to the Luas and thatten-minutee wait for the tram was torture. It’s fair to say we never spoke again, but the moral of the story is to always find their Instagram first and always pick coffee, never a drink for a first date. – That way you don’t waste as much time and you can make a faster escape. The strong and silent type might be for some, but this was unbearable.' – Sorcha 

'Tinder is great for the old ego boost but trying to get an actual IRL date locked in was harder than trying to choose a random movie to watch on Netflix. Too many choices involved and no one willing to make any kind of commitment. This date was different though. He was Brazilian and new to Ireland, and new to Tinder for that matter, so before he could know any better I suggested we meet for a drink and he suggested ‘Tomorrow?’ Sold.

The next night dressed in Penneys best, I found myself in JT Pims (a great first Tinder date bar) waiting for my potench new Latino lover to arrive. He walked in beaming from ear to ear, enveloped me in a bear hug and offered me a drink before legging it to the bar. I settled into my seat excited for what I hoped would be hours of fun and flirting.

Two hours later I was making my excuses to leave, but not before he told me that his heart was melting for me, he wanted us to travel around Ireland together, and that he could see himself falling in love with me. He bought me a rose and kissed my hands all over and up my arm and told me I was the most amazing woman he had ever met. ‘Um, I’ve got to go now’ I said edging towards the door, worried that at any moment he would propose or cling to my feet like in some over the top Disney movie. By the time I got home he had liked every single one of my Insta pics dating back five years and had sent me five messages trying to lock in another date. Block. Unmatch. Thanks but no thanks. Back to the drawing board….' – Ariana

True Love:

'Despite having very little faith in dating apps, I met my last boyfriend on Tinder. Well, not strictly speaking. I moved in to a new apartment with my best friend, and to celebrate, we decided to throw a housewarming party and invite everyone in the building. I knocked on the door of the girl who lived directly below us, and she agreed to attend our little soiree, so long as she could bring her boyfriend. 

By the time she and her man arrived, we were all already half cut, and while I thought her beau was cute I paid him little attention knowing he was spoken for, instead investing my time in the makeshift karaoke station we had set up (aka, an open laptop perched on the kitchen counter with lyrics videos playing on YouTube, using a hairbrush and a wooden spoon as mics). We had a quick, polite conversation on the balcony having a cigarette, and that was it – I promptly forgot about him after waking up the next morning with a pounding head and no voice from screeching The Kooks songs all evening. 

A few days later I was on Tinder swiping away, and got a message – 'Hey Sarah, how have you been keeping?' After a bit of confusion over the messages' familiarity, I quickly realised who it was and immediately had a crisis of conscious after he asked me for a coffee, wondering was I about to embark on a passionate, ill-fated affair with my downstairs neighbour's boyfriend. However, we went for that coffee, he informed me that they had broken up the night of the party after I presumably seduced him with my tone-deaf rendition of The Darkness'  I Believe In A Thing Called Love, and we dated for two years. Without happening upon me on Tinder, he never would have found me as he only knew my first name. We didn't work out, but I do have Tinder to thank for connecting me with my favourite ex-boyfriend.' – Sarah 

'Okay, so I moved across the world to study in the magical, Emerald Isle. But I swear my only focus was on studying and travel. There was no room in my life for a man. At least that’s what I told myself. But after a few weeks of loneliness and some late night chats with my roommate, I decided to give the Tinder app a try – for the fun of it. It was a good compromise. I told myself to go on some dates but not have to make a commitment I’d leave behind when I returned home at the end of the year. Then one day, a guy I had matched with sent me a joke out of the blue. Curious for the punchline, I messaged him back and found myself in bits at his reply. If you know me, you know that I love a good cheesy joke. Im talking pure dad-joke material. They’re my favourite. And this total goofball was full of them.

It went on like that for weeks, I think. I found myself looking forward to his texts. This guy, mind you, was shown in those carnival-sized sunglasses and a feathery boa in his profile picture. Fast forward, to a night out in town when we were talking longer than usual and discovered we were both in town at pubs right beside each other. He asked if I wanted to meet up and I agreed, after a few beers in me.'

My heart thumping to the blaring, cringe music in Dicey’s I found him looking for me. And he was wayyy hotter than that dorky picture on Tinder. He claimed Americans couldn't drink more than the Irish, and that was it. My competitive nature took over as I proved him wrong. (We still argue to this day over which one of us won). We spent all night together, talking and laughing amidst the crazy chaos in the club. And we’ve been inseparable ever since, surviving long distance and all the other stuff that came our way for two and a half years. Who knew Tinder was the modern-day Cupid?' – Anonymous

'My first Tinder date was the best one I ever had. It was with the Dutch courage of several few whiskeys in my local that I sent the simple, ''we should meet for a drink'' before he had even messaged me. After my initial disappointment that he wasn't tall, we spent the following four hours talking, drinking, flirting, smoking – it pretty much went by in a haze of tipsy splendour. 

What followed were a few months of being inseparable, but my J1 and summer in Boston were looming so we decided to split. It was a lot harder than I thought and after a goodbye letter/email/Skype, I remember sitting in a cafe down the road from my new apartment in Boston, trying to catch the shitty rays of Wifi and crying noisily into my phone to him.  We didn't make it, but I'm smiling even now as I'm writing this because it was a happy time. 

Tinder, you might seem like you're full of arseholes but occasionally, after a few whiskeys and a risky message, you come up with a good one.' – Aoife 

 

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Image: Instagram / Whitwolfeherd 

Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd has been threatened repeatedly after photos of guns were banned on the dating app.

The decision was made in March, following the devastating Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and other such incidents.

“It’s polarising and we had to have police at our office for several weeks,” the entrepreneur recently said to Joanna Coles, chief content officer at Hearst Magazines, at the Cannes Lions panel.

According to Page Six, Whitney further explained, “I was getting emails saying, ‘I’m gonna show my Glock and my you know what [genitals]’ with literally a picture of the Glock and the other thing.

"It was, ‘We’re coming for you, we know where your office is.’ Our team members were getting harassed. It’s been really wild.”

A statement on the company's website about the move reads: "Online behaviour can both mirror and predict how people treat each other in the real world. Bumble has a responsibility to our users and a larger goal to encourage accountability offline…

"As mass shootings continue to devastate communities across the country, it’s time to state unequivocally that gun violence is not in line with our values, nor do these weapons belong on Bumble."

Speaking about the ban at the panel, Whitney said, “I guess if you’re pushing the limit on something, you’re going to piss someone off.”

The decision to ban gun photos was controversial even within the Bumble office itself.

 

A post shared by Bumble (@bumble) on

“It pissed a lot of people off, but it was the right thing to do. We have a lot of people on our team that are responsible gun owners," the CEO, who also co-founded Tinder, revealed. 

"I’m from Texas … Our brand values are equality, empowerment, kindness and accountability. Do guns fit that bill? No. The majority of women that die from domestic abuse a year is from guns. So why would we want to romanticize that?”

Whitney herself is no stranger to divisive moves, as some people were taken aback by Bumble when it first appeared on the dating app scene.

In case you haven't heard of the app (where have you been?), women are the ones who must message first on Bumble. The idea behind it is female empowerment – and that you don't end up with a barrage of strange texts from dudes (unless you've talked to them already). 

 

A post shared by Whitney Wolfe Herd (@whitwolfeherd) on

The tech entrepreneur left Tinder in 2014 and settled a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. She began Bumble in December 2014.

“When I went and started Bumble as an antidote to everything I went through, it was early," she recalled.

"#MeToo had not happened, Times Up had not happened … you didn’t walk through the aisles of Target and see every T-shirt that said ‘The Future Is Female’ or ‘We Should All Be Feminists.’ The word ‘feminist’ was actually taboo.

"And so Bumble was quite polarising in 2014 … It’s really fascinating to have been a bit early to this incredible tidal wave that is now taking over culture.”

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If you've ever spent time on a dating app, you'll know just how frustrating it can be.

It's hard enough getting to know someone through a brief text/ gif exchange, but trying to figure out what exactly your match is after is an entirely different ball game. 

No one would blame you for thinking that the vast majority of dating app users were only after one thing, but perhaps we're a little too quick too judge. 

A new study conducted by Harvard University has revealed that there may be light at the end of the 'you out tonight?' tunnel after all.

Researchers surveyed a group of US adults aged between 18 and 25 and found that the vast majority were totally single or dating just one person.

Results found that less than 5 per cent of Tinder users messaged more than five people each week and just a bit over 5 per cent would expect to sleep with someone on the first date.

The other 95 per cent either said they would be completely against getting intimate with someone on the first date, or it simply just wasn't something they were looking for.

So, contrary to what you might think, it looks like most of us serial-daters are actually searching for something more long-term.

The study reads: ‘’What we found — and what our report describes — stands in stark contrast to the common story in our culture about young people’s romantic and sexual experiences.’’

‘’Research indicates that a large majority of young people are not hooking up frequently, and our research suggests that about 85% of young people prefer other options to hooking up, such as spending time with friends or having sex in a serious relationship.’’

So, if you're after something more than a one-night-stand, don't give up hope just yet.

But knowing our luck, we'd still manage to find that 5 per cent. 

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Dating apps can be a dangerous game.

While you may feel like the bees-knees when you first sign up and imagine that you're going to start a new life of being a dating supreme… it can turn out to be the exact opposite which can leave you feeling pretty down in yourself.

That's what happened to this man from South London, so he took matters into his own hands and decided to create a dating app himself.

With him being the only man on it.

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Yep, the ladies that signed up to Shinder were only given the option of one man – which obviously maximises his chances of finding the perfect girl.

The entrepreneur only gave users the option of swiping left or right for Shed Simove… so those who swiped left… well, it was the end of their Shinder experience.

If they rejected, the women were sent an email telling them they "dodged a bullet," but if they swiped right, a message popped up which read, "You clearly have exquisite taste. You’ll be notified if you’re a match."

Speaking to The Mirror, the 45-year-old Shinder creator said: "I joined all the usual [ones] – and some unusual ones too… I quickly realised that it’s tough to stand out and get noticed with seemingly endless choice.

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"I’ve anticipated the scarcity of potential matches will create increased demand, and with that more chance of dating successes.

‘I’m now a big fish in my own pond."

And it seems to be working! Shed as already received more than 100 matches so far.

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Whiling away a boring Tuesday evening on Tinder has become part and parcel of our generation's down-time, and while we hope a bad date is the worst that will come of it, unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth.

Swiping right and hooking up might be the start of a modern-day fairytale, but it can also lead to some serious implications for your reproductive and general health.

According to a statement released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, syphilis is on the rise in recent years going from 6,000 in the US at the start of the millennium to a whopping 20,000 just last year.

Having researched the rising numbers associated with the sexually transmitted disease, the Rhode Island Department of Health came to the conclusion that our habit of swiping right may play a bigger part in the worrying pattern than many of us realise.

Commenting on the increase in both gonorrhea and syphilis, officials deduced that "high-risk behaviours,  including using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters” may be responsible for the recent statistics.

And while many STDs are curable with the right medication, these statistics are definitely something to think about the next time…
 

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