This is why I’m never going back to dating apps again
I’m probably one of the most cynical people there are, as much as I’d hate to admit it, but it’s true nevertheless. I see everything as win or lose, profit or loss, likewise; and love I believe is the biggest gamble there is.
The stakes are the highest when you’re trying to find someone who you’d click with in an instant or someone who would make you want to look forward to the coming days, because honestly, the chances of you winning at this are pretty less, or at least that’s what I thought earlier. For me, alien invasion was a more likely phenomenon than finding true love and when I first heard about Speed Meet from Rahul, I laughed, yes I did.
“You get men and women to meet each other, have conversations lasting 6 minutes and then what, they fall in love?” I asked him doubting the entire model. Now when I look back, I laugh at my pessimist-self, however it’s important to note where this pessimism comes from. Having tried all the popular dating apps there are, I concluded that finding love is neither easy nor safe. The makers of these dating apps are probably investing billions so that you can find someone special and they can make money out of it, the latter is happening for sure, but the former..not so sure.
This is when I got to attend a Speed Meet event as a coordinator and I won’t lie, I observed and analyzed every bit of it. I went to the event as a cynical critic of the modern-day dating solutions and came back hopeful and sanguine about the future of dating and relationships. So, what brought about this change of perspective? Well, here are some of my observations.
Firstly, there is this striking charm about the whole set-up as you first enter the venue and see eligible singles dressed in their best waiting to woo you. “This is real, this is happening, they are out there and they are waiting for you,” one probably wonders. I could see men nervously scratching their beard and women fixing their hair; and at this point one thing was clear, this is as real as it can get.
The nervous scratching of beard and cautious fixing of hair soon turned to chuckles, smiles and blushing as people started having their 6-minute dates. I could see people getting involved, having conversations of all kinds and most importantly making connections, that too in just 6 minutes. This is when it hit me, if you have to click with someone, even a moment is enough or you can go about texting mindlessly for months and not feel anything at all.
By the end of the event, I could see the excitement and joy on people’s faces as they submitted their response sheets and my cynicism turned to hope. Having encountered fake profiles, creeps and stalkers on dating apps, I had given up on the entire concept altogether. You have to be really lucky to make the most of dating apps in India, but Speed Meet takes care of the luck part, all you have to do is be out there and be yourself. If you’re a woman living in India, you know what I’m talking about.
My takeback from Speed Meet is that one can be assured about meeting decent people of similar wavelength who are interviewed, filtered so that one doesn’t have to deal with any uncalled for awkward moments. What you get is a real platform and real chance (12 to 15 to be precise) to come across that special someone who would make life exciting and thrilling.
I won’t lie, I’m still cynical about many things in life, but dating is one thing I can happily strike-off from my list. Also, I still see things as win or lose, and for me Speed Meet is a win-win.
Why meet someone virtually when you’re eventually looking at having a relationship in real? Leave the virtual space for your shopping needs and make connections in the world you live in!
