When dating apps first launched, it was a brave new world. And while swiping through potential matches from the comfort of our phones was certainly exciting, less so was the waiting game that followed after you racked up your matches.
Why do guys match with you, but never ask you out? Isn't the whole point to meet people, wondered women everywhere. Next came another downside: gross comments, sexual harassment, and yes—d*ck pics. So some entrepreneurs decided to create dating apps that gave women more control over the process. From hand-picking the men allowed on the site to keeping your profile pic hidden, these apps put the power in your hands:
As you might remember from the article she wrote for us, the cofounder of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe, launched Bumble much in the same image as her former app, but with a twist. Instead of waiting for your match to make the first move, Bumble makes it mandatory that women initiate conversation after matching, giving them only a 24-hour window as incentive. This way, women can not only control who they talk to, but are empowered to progress the action from matching to actually talking.
No swiping! The action on this app revolves around a question of the day which members of the community answer. Women peruse the men's responses (and profiles), then they can choose to message the ones who interest them. When you message a man, he can then see your profile picture, but it remains private to everyone else on the app. The process feels less frenzied than apps like Tinder, as the women get to choose the select few who they want to pursue.
Men must be invited to join by women, reducing the "creep factor" of an open-to-anyone app. Women are prompted to invite one single male friend when they sign up, so the app is all about creating a quality-not-quantity dating pool of guys.
If you've tried any of the above apps, let us know what you thought. And once you do find that perfect match, here are some fun date ideas to try, all under $25.
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