App dating is hell. It’s an admin-heavy, low-reward process that feels like it sets you up to fail. Sure, some people get exactly what they want from it, be that a long-term romantic relationship, quickies in bar toilets or ethically non-monogamous situationships that satisfy both parties. But what started as an egalitarian approach to actually meeting those elusive hot singles in your area often becomes a lonely, pothole-laden road to pain.
For women, in particular, dating apps come with a good deal of risk. No one enters into a relationship, no matter how casual, thinking that the person sweeping them off their feet will turn out to be physically or sexually abusive at some point. But this is the outcome for almost a third of women aged 15-49 worldwide – and that’s not including emotional abuse, which is a lot harder to quantify. No wonder we want to sense-check every little detail when we connect with a stranger who is little more than a photo on a screen. Wouldn’t it be great to have a heads-up that this could be the time it all goes horribly and possibly violently wrong?
