Often, getting on a matchmaking platform is the last resort. Don’t have time to socialise and meet new people; fallen out of a long-term relationship; don’t seem to like the people your friends set you up with. And when you have exhausted every possible way of finding a potential partner, you turn to the apps. Feel like your thoughts before getting on matchmaking or a matrimony app? You are not alone.
Even though a high number of Indians have now started to use matchmaking apps, shunning the societal stigma around dating, the fears hold us back. We fear the people wearing the lovers’ mask with several vested interests. Sometimes, the fears aren’t the serious ones – it’s the silly ‘what if I meet my cousin on the app and he/she gets to know I’m on it too’.
While it is only natural to fear the unknown, we at Betterhalf.ai took a poll on some thoughts people get in general before signing up. Some are as hilarious as watching Katherine and Josh running to feed the baby in Life as we know it.
Let’s see what our users thought before getting on the matchmaking platform:
What if I am smitten by a person with fake identity
Seen Qarib Qarib Single where Irfan Khan has an impressive online dating profile but is disappointing when met in person? Most users hold themselves back because of this thought. After spending 2-3 months dating a person online, developing feelings for them, what if you meet a totally different person? Some users felt so paranoid thinking whether the ‘lover’ and his family would abuse them after cheating them into marriage. While these are some grave concerns, you need not be worried if you choose a good app with multiple layers of verification
What if I get blackmailed
With cyber fraud reports all over the internet, our millennial users get this thought most of the time. For instance, take Anusha Kumar, an engineer who uses a matchmaking app. She says, “I cannot let people in my family know I am using an app seeking potential partners for life. What if a person bullies me for money and then blackmails saying they would let my family know about me being on this app.” As weird as it may sound, this is a thought many of us get. This feels like a potential plot for a crime thriller but it’s been over a year since Anusha got onto an app and found a person who isn’t this creepy bully.
What if he/she turns out to be a sex addict or is into BDSM
To be honest, 50 Shades of Grey actually romanticised BDSM and abusive behaviours, leaving several teenagers dreaming about it. But let’s come back to reality, and users have thoughts of being connecting with a sex addict, out of bad luck. “What if he throws acid on my face if I refuse sexual moves,’ is another level of paranoia people have shown to not sign up on a dating app.
What if he/she is double dating
Most often, people are talking to more than just one person online and this tarnishes the trust factor. Also, it is okay to interact with more people online and that does not imply dating. However, people misunderstand this concept and leave halfway. Even worse is that people hear such stories and miss out on finding their romantic relationship online, even before signing up.
Mostly, it is people’s past experiences of being cheated that makes them fear about people they like online double dating with other users. Hence, it gets important for us to address the negative feelings and thoughts before we decide to move on with our love lives. Feels like you?
What if my partner is commitment phobic
We all have known that one friend who was in a 2-3 year relationship and the guy leaves her saying they aren’t sure of marrying. This is a common thought that stops many from getting on a dating app. But wait, this could happen offline too, nothing exclusive to finding people online. Several even get friend-zoned after explicitly expressing affection towards each other. Hence, a better way could be to sit with ourselves, give us our time and see if we have come past the unpleasant experiences we have had before getting on a matchmaking app.
On Betterhalf.ai, our AI technology has multiple layers of verification as well as manual verification to block out fake, fraudulent profiles. We match the registered profiles with their social profiles to check the credibility. Matchmaking apps are worth a try specially during the pandemic where meeting new people is just impossible.
However, if you are a person who is reluctant to sign up on a matchmaking app and you have got similar thoughts as above, look out for our next blog that looks at identifying red flags in an online chat and addressing it in the initial stages.
