Did you know there’s fool-proof examples of the best Hinge answers online? I wish I did before I set up my profile.
I like to think of myself as a soldier for the single woman, nothing appeals to me less than accounting for another person’s whims and wishes when I barely have time for my own nonsense. However, if there’s ever been a time to question my commitment to singledom, it’s during the festive season.
First, there’s the PDA couples that go into overdrive in December, not just at your local Chistmas Market but online too (#boydidgood!!). Then comes those tense family gatherings where at least one auntie didn’t get the modern-day feminism memo and starts interrogating you about marriage and kids over the roast potatoes. And don’t get me started on the festive romcoms. like I love them, but why do they make me want to move to Los Angeles and fall in love with a music producer while giving physiotherapy to my old frail neighbour??
You can see where the trouble lies affair dating sites. And for that there is only one solution: distract myself with online dating to create a false sense of hope that ‘the one’ is just around the corner if I actually made an effort to find them. I shouldn’t say false, to be fair, maybe this one will be the one if I stop ghosting everyone after matching? Just maybe?!
So, in an attempt to make a connection that will provide more substance than the one-night-stand army that has invaded Tinder, I downloaded Hinge. And so the social experiment began. again.
First of all, what is Hinge?
Creating a real connection is Hinge’s raison d’etre, it sells itself as Match for the younger crowd, without Tinder’s superficial picture-only swiping, and its slogan is literally ‘designed to be deleted’. It used to have the same function as Tinder when it came to swiping, but has increasingly adapted to the ever-evolving intricacies of online dating, including question and answer prompts – WITH a voicenote feature!! – and installing a ‘Your Turn’ reminder to reply to messages, a tactic to decrease ghosting.
So how does Hinge work?
When you install Hinge, you can do so using Facebook or your mobile number. I chose Facebook because I’m lazy. and I clearly don’t care about hacking apparently. Hinge uses ‘a sophisticated algorithm’ to help facilitate connections (they previously used your Facebook friends.)
When you first start your profile, alongside uploading your Facebook profile pictures which are automatically pulled through to the app (you can change them later and connect your Instagram if you want), you’re asked to choose three questions to answer that will thus appear on your profile as cute titbits to start conversations. Cue sheer panic.
Now, I’m quite the keyboard warrior when it comes to witty re captions could honestly be entered into awards – but this shook me to my core. Not only do you have to choose a fun, quirky question that will adequately express your personality, but then also think of an equally funny answer?! It’s a sweat-inducing prospect, and while clearly meant to be all fun and games, with potential matches deciding whether our personalities are compatible before even having a conversation, it’s far too much pressure to put on three questions as far as I’m concerned.
With your string of images and three questions laid out, your profile can also include your age, height, job, location, political leanings and whether you drink, smoke or do drugs. You can even include your star sign if so inclined, but don’t be fooled into thinking the men that do actually care about astrology, astroglogyfishing is the new catfishing I swear. Then you’re free to roam.