Many people believe in the idea of traditional cute meet-ups, irrespective of which generation they were born into. Sometimes it works like a charm, sometimes it doesn’t. But this kinda meetings still remain favourite for a lot of people out there. Meanwhile, in recent years, some of us have switched to finding love through online dating. Digital romance is a subjective concept. However, for those who are introverts or don’t have a friend circle, meeting someone online and their connection turning into a real-life romance is nothing less than a blessing.
Luckily, if the vibes match and a couple agrees to be in an exclusive relationship after knowing each other on a dating app, the question of ‘how to make it official’ (whenever possible) often makes them nervous.
For a section of people, at least. ‘Should I just post our photograph on Instagram? What if people start asking about the source of our relationship?‘ Such thoughts keep popping into our heads. Isn’t it? The conversation of the announcement should be as simple as: “So, how did you guys meet?” “We met on Tinder. Thank God, we swiped right at each other.” “Oh, I am so happy for you two.” Contrary to this, it pans out this way in most cases: “Wahan koi serious nahin hota! Zyada nahin chalega dekhna.” And that’s how your love bubble bursts. I say this while remembering my personal experience.
Speaking of Tinder, it is mostly referred to as a ‘hook-up’ platform in pop culture rather than a dating app. And this is how the fear of being judged is born. Log kya kahenge of sorts.
Not that those unsolicited opinions should matter, but the perception of meeting someone online being taken as a non-serious commitment exists till date. Eventually, people who are otherwise quite confident about their online dating partners begin to avoid breaking the news to anyone. Sometimes, they also end up weaving stories about their cute, non-digital meet-ups which don’t even exist. For examples, creating a fake scenario of meeting through a mutual friend in school or bumping into each other at a wedding.
In 2017, Hattie Gladwell, a Metro writer had shared her own experience of going through a similar phase of online dating. “I say I met him at a lake simply because I’ve always felt admitting to have met him on Twitter to be too shameful,” Gladwell wrote in one of her articles on the website.
This feeling of nervousness becomes even more when the thought of explaining that you met your partner on a dating app to your middle-class parents comes in your mind.
How will I make them understand? Will they be okay about it? Or should I tell a fake story to them?
Many middle-class parents are new to the concept of finding ‘love’ online. As someone, who has just made her relationship official in the family, can surely vouch for it. They are quite familiar with fixing meetings for matchmaking purposes but not exposed to the online dating concept yet.
Their internet consumption is mainly about watching YouTube videos, sharing good morning/good night messages and forwarding fake news on WhatsApp. However, dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge are definitely newbies in most middle-class households. “But what if they’re a murderer?” “What if they harm you?” “How can you trust a stranger on the internet?” For those of you, who are trying to announce it to their parents, will relate to these questions.
Things are slowly changing. Now-a-days, people in India have been making connections online more than before.
A Bumble study published by Indian Express in 2021 suggests that 50 per cent of the single Indians claim people don’t feel ashamed to admit that they met on a dating app. This change of perception about online dating happened amid the pandemic. ‘44 per cent feel people who would previously be against online dating, tried it as it became the only way to meet someone post the second wave and during lockdown 2021‘, the study added.
Let’s normalise admitting that you met your partner on a dating app. There is nothing to be ashamed of or feel embarrassed about.
I am on my way to admit it in my case. When are you doing it?