Tag: dating apps

What Would Happen If We Walked Away From Dating Apps in 2026?

TheGirlWho1 Comment

Dating apps promised connection. Instead, they’ve left many of us anxious, disposable, and lonelier than ever.

My mum doesn’t believe me when I tell her that the only real way people meet these days is through dating apps. She’s from a different generation, one where people met through friends, work, chance encounters, or simple introductions. You met someone, you liked them, and you tried to make it work.

Today, dating feels nothing like that… it’s even hard to imagine, life was that simple, once!!

In 2026, dating apps dominate modern romance, yet, more people than ever feel emotionally burnt out, disconnected, and deeply unsure about love. So I keep asking myself the same question:

What would actually happen if we all made a conscious decision to walk away from dating apps?

Dating Apps and the Rise of Modern Dating Anxiety

There’s no denying it, dating apps have rewired how we connect.

Psychologically, they operate on the same reward systems as gambling: dopamine hits, intermittent validation, endless novelty. You swipe, you match, you wait. You check notifications. You compare. You question your worth.

Research over the last few years has consistently linked dating apps to:

  • Increased anxiety and stress
  • Lower self-esteem
  • Addictive usage patterns
  • Emotional burnout

So much so that users have attempted to sue dating apps, claiming the platforms are deliberately designed to encourage compulsive behaviour, emotional dependence, and prolonged singlehood rather than healthy relationships.

And honestly? I believe it, I have seen it with my own eyes, and my eyes are so tired of it..

Recently, I deleted Tinder and Bumble completely, I barely used Raya and have now set it to friends only. I thought everything was gone — until I realised I still had Hinge on my work phone. I hadn’t checked it in weeks.

There were 236 notifications.

And I didn’t feel excited. I didn’t feel curious.

I felt sick.

I didn’t even want to open it. I just wanted my pictures offline. I didn’t want to exist digitally anymore. That, in itself, says everything about what dating apps do to us. As soon as I clicked onto it, to delete, the universe spoke, on a dark reminder of why I want to be offline, lay before me on my screen, It was like I was being told… yes delete, delete, delete, because bad people lurk here…

The Illusion of Endless Choice

Dating apps sell the idea that more choice equals better outcomes, however psychologically, the opposite is often true.

Too much choice leads to:

  • Paralysis
  • Dissatisfaction
  • Constant comparison
  • A belief that something “better” is always out there

We find a diamond and still keep fucking digging anyway… why???

People become disposable, A face, A profile, A moment of interest, then… replaced. Not because something is wrong — but because the swipe never ends. It’s so cruel, not just to others but to ourselves..

We’ve become fickle and the apps reward it.

The Scariest Part of Online Dating: The 3–4 Week Pattern

This is the part nobody wants to admit — because once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

You meet someone, You talk every day, The connection feels consistent, Warm and Promising.

Then you hit week three or week four.

And something changes.

Replies slow down, Effort drops, the tone shifts. Suddenly they’re busy. Work is stressful. Life is overwhelming. They’ve got so much on.

The good mornings , the good nights disappear. The curiosity fades.

And you’re left asking:

Why does it always seem to end here? Why do people stop trying at the exact same point?

Dating apps encourage people to fantasise rather than commit, its all words and no action, To chase excitement without responsibility. To invest emotionally just enough, until someone else catches their eye.

Because someone always does.

A girl drops into their DMs. A new face swipes right. And before you know it, the excuses begin:

“I didn’t get a chance to reply.”

“I’ve been exhausted.”

“I’ve just been really busy.”

It’s not that they suddenly became busy.

It’s that their attention moved elsewhere… and it hurts…

When You Have a Good Heart, This Hurts More

This pattern cuts deeper when you’re someone who leads with sincerity, when your heart is pure, and you just simply hope for a glimmer of happiness in love…

When you like someone, you focus. You don’t browse. You don’t keep your options open “just in case.” Once you’ve met someone, you don’t feel the need to even look at an app.

So when things fade — again — it makes you question everything:

Who do I get close to?

Who do I trust?

When is it safe to let my barriers down?

As a woman, I sometimes wish I could be colder, more guarded, less emotionally available. Like friends of mine who can detach easily and give nothing away, and play the complete bitch, and they get treated like absolute royalty..

But I can’t help who I am.

And that softness — in a swipe culture — feels like a liability…

The Emotional Cost of Subtle Withdrawal

What makes this even harder is how quiet the withdrawal is.

If you’re intuitive, you feel it instantly. You notice the shift before it’s acknowledged. The delayed replies. The lack of effort. The energy change.

So when it happens again, it’s not just disappointment — it’s exhaustion.

It makes you not want to date at all. Not because you don’t want love, but because you’re tired of walking the same emotional loop with different faces.

Sometimes, you wish the internet didn’t exist, because people used to learn how to love. They worked through boredom. They chose each other. They didn’t disappear when novelty wore off.

Now, instead of asking “Can I grow with this person?”

People ask “Who else is out there?”

And that question alone destroys connection.

This is why celibacy is so key, because we can give part of our souls, but at least our body can remain untouched and we can hold onto some dignity. The real sadness these days, is how a lot of women, do give their bodies up too early, too freely, and the men take take take.. so you’ve given everything and feel left with nothing, and it hits you twice as hard.

Are Dating Apps Really How Most People Meet?

Despite how dominant apps feel, the data tells a different story.

While dating app usage has skyrocketed over the last decade, most long-term relationships still don’t start online. Even now, the majority of couples meet through:

  • Friends
  • Work
  • Social circles
  • Shared interests
  • Real-world environments

Apps feel unavoidable, but they aren’t the only way. They’ve just become the loudest.

What If We Walked Away From Dating Apps in 2026?

If we collectively stepped back, even temporarily, something interesting might happen.

  • Effort would return — because access wouldn’t be endless
  • Presence would matter more than performance
  • People would have to communicate instead of disappearing
  • Traditions would slowly reinstall themselves

When temptation isn’t constantly in your pocket, you’re more likely to lean into what’s in front of you.

And maybe — just maybe — if we stepped away from apps once we met someone, we’d actually try. We’d communicate. We’d work through discomfort instead of escaping it.

Choosing Depth in a World Addicted to Dopamine

As I step into 2026, I don’t have all the answers when it comes to love. I don’t know where life will take me romantically. What I do know is that I’m no longer willing to participate in something that leaves me feeling anxious, disposable, or disconnected from myself. I have hopes, I have dreams, I have affection, right now even desire, and I know where my heart points… but still trying to remain the ever optimist, and hope somewhere in this big wide world, a good man who aligns still exists.. somewhere.. maybe an ocean away… but there will be that man in the world, who brings calm, brings smiles, and brings a genuine love…

Right now, I’m single and you know what I’m okay with that… because I know my worth and what I deserve… and what’s more so If I feel the tone change, trust me, I will switch off quicker than any guy saying ‘Sorry Ive had a busy day’ – FU and FU …

So until a man asks me to be his girlfriend, his girl, until there is clarity, intention, and consistency — I choose to remain exactly where I am. Open-hearted, hopeful, but no longer available for half-effort, fantasy, or emotional breadcrumbs, darling, you we’re great for the 3 week Disney story, now I have shit to do, but yes, I use the word hopeful… you just never know, what’s around the corner!

Sadly Dating apps have trained us to believe that being alone is something to fix quickly, rather than something to sit with consciously. They’ve taught us that love is abundant but shallow, that connection is instant but disposable, and that if something feels hard, there’s always another option waiting.

But real love has never worked like that.

Love requires patience. It requires discomfort. It requires staying, even when the novelty fades and perhaps that’s why so many people feel lost now: not because love no longer exists, but because we’ve forgotten how to nurture it.

We’re living in a time where people want the feeling of connection without the responsibility of maintaining it. Where intimacy is mistaken for attention. Where consistency feels rare, and emotional safety feels almost radical.

And yet — despite all of this — I don’t believe love is gone.

I believe it’s quieter now. Slower. Less performative. I believe it exists in real conversations, in shared experiences, in moments that aren’t filtered or curated for an audience. I believe it grows when temptation isn’t constantly whispering in your pocket, telling you someone else might be better.

Maybe walking away from dating apps isn’t about rejecting modern dating entirely. Maybe it’s about reclaiming our nervous systems. Relearning how to be present. Choosing depth over dopamine.

Because when you remove endless choice, what’s left is intention.

When you remove constant comparison, what’s left is appreciation.

And when you remove distraction, what’s left is the possibility of something real.

So perhaps the question isn’t “How do we find love in 2026?”

But rather:

“How do we protect it when it shows up?”

And maybe — just maybe — the answer starts with putting the phone down, stepping back into the world, and allowing connection to unfold the way it always did… slowly, imperfectly, and humanly. Maybe the olden day love is still out there, maybe we just need to allow our eyes to glance further than our phone screens, and maybe we should just cherish the connections we do make.. making our own Hollywood ending…

You never know, maybe love is already in your life.. and you’ll find it when the distractions cease…

Why Dating Feels Hard in 2025: Romance, Apps & Real Connection

TheGirlWhoLeave a comment

Modern dating feels harder than ever. From dating apps to emotional disconnect, here’s why relationships feel complicated in 2025 , and why real romance isn’t dead.

How Do We Meet People These Days , and Can We Still Find Something Real?

There was a time when meeting someone happened almost by accident. You’d bump into someone in the supermarket, catch a stranger’s eye in a coffee shop, (we all know this happens to me all the time lol) or be introduced through a friend, and romance seemed to unfold naturally. Our grandparents didn’t have dating apps, social media or an endless stream of profiles. If they found someone attractive, they simply had to talk to them or the moment would pass forever and sometimes I do wonder whether that made them braver. Not necessarily more confident, just more present in real life because they didn’t have another option.

These days, even if you see someone across a cafe whom you’re drawn to, you probably look away, second-guess yourself, or assume they’re unavailable. I’m the girl on a night out, who gets called ‘stuck up’ because I wear an engagement ring, when I’m single, and refuses to talk to anyone, and so be it, if people want to knock me for that, but I have this deep rooted personal issue, of not wanting to give people the wrong idea, and then when someone is attractive I’m too bloody shy to chat anyway, so apps have been for me the only way to truly meet someone.

Modern dating culture has conditioned us to believe that real-life connection is unusual, almost surprising, when not so long ago it was the most natural way people met. It’s not that our confidence has disappeared; it’s that the world around us has changed. Our social circles have become smaller, our work-life routines more insular, and the unspoken rule now is that if you’re single, you should be on a dating app.

In 2025, dating apps have become the dominant way to meet people. You match, chat, hope, and repeat. And while dating apps open doors, they also create complications. There’s choice overload, emotional burnout, lack of effort, and this strange feeling that everything has become disposable. Even though a large percentage of newly married couples meet online now, and around a third of adults have used apps, not all of them feel that deeper sense of connection or relationship satisfaction. In fact, some research suggests that couples who meet offline tend to feel more stable and more connected long term. So while apps give us access to more people, they don’t necessarily make it easier to find something meaningful.

What feels hardest in modern dating is how quickly things shift when two people start to genuinely like each other. You can meet someone amazing, feel a spark, be open and honest about how you feel, and suddenly the other person goes cold. It’s a pattern so many of us recognise now, and it hurts. Honesty, which should bring people closer, often seems to push one person away, And in 2025, people are terrified of being seen as “too keen,” “love bombing,” or “moving too fast,” so they hold their feelings back and hope the other person will magically intuit how they feel, and it all falls to shit! Sorry to be blunt but it does, ‘He’s not into me’ is what I think, and then as soon as I call it off, he’s like, ‘I really like you’ – TOO Late, i’ve checked out!

There are psychological and biological layers to this. When we meet someone who excites us, our bodies release dopamine and adrenaline the “new attraction” chemicals. It feels intense, addictive, hopeful. But after a few weeks, those chemicals naturally settle. If the connection doesn’t develop into deeper bonding — the oxytocin stage — the initial rush fades. Many women tend to become more emotionally invested during that bonding period, while some men may start feeling pressure, uncertainty or emotional withdrawal. It isn’t universal, but it helps explain why one person leans in while the other pulls back, and even the emotionally stable, can still be like this, I have seen men and women so incredibly self aware, not understand the biology of this period.

Then there’s the lifestyle side of modern dating. So many people say they want a relationship, yet their behaviour shows something different. They want the companionship, but not the compromise. They want closeness, but not change. We’ve normalised this idea of “this is my life — if you want me, you fit into it,” making relationships feel like something that must not disrupt personal freedom. The result? Many people like the idea of love far more than they like the reality of having to make space for it. Everyone these days is like “I love my own space”, “I enjoy my own company” – Great, good for you, but are you realising a real relationship that won’t fail = Adaptations, effort and change!

This is especially painful when you’re a giver. I know this personally. I’m a selfless person by nature — I care, I give, I show up for others emotionally and physically and because of that, people often take me for granted. I’ve experienced it in dating, friendships and even family. People get used to you being the one who understands, who adjusts, who nurtures, who comforts, who puts in the extra effort and they begin to rely on it without ever matching it. Takers are often drawn to givers because givers make their lives easier and givers, hoping for reciprocity, often hold on longer than they should. It’s a hard, painful imbalance that has become more visible in today’s dating world. I mean we are not going back to the Giraffe and Lion story, you don’t have to be a narcissist to feed off others…

It also ties into something else: fear of losing freedom. Modern dating has created a culture where people want emotional security without sacrificing independence. They want someone, but they don’t want to change anything about their life to accommodate that someone. They want connection, but not commitment that requires effort, and unless two people are equally ready to show up emotionally and practically, dating becomes an exhausting game of mismatched expectations.

But even with all of this, the apps, the fear, the disposability, the emotional imbalance, I do still believe romance exists. Not in a grand, cinematic way, but in the quiet, steady ways two people show up for each other. There are people who want to go above and beyond emotionally. People who want to care deeply, build a partnership, prioritise each other, and make their partner feel chosen and valued. These people are absolutely out there, even if they get overshadowed by the noise of modern dating apps, they could very well sat on dating apps, and they could be sat there with an inbox full, but waiting for someone like you, to show up!

The truth is, being on your own isn’t a failure. If anything, it’s where your strength grows. Being single gives you space to understand who you are, what you want, what you deserve, and what your boundaries are. Your independence becomes an asset, not a barrier. When you stand strong in yourself, you choose better. You stop tolerating less than you deserve. You recognise taking behaviour sooner. And you attract people who value your strength instead of draining it. You need to look in the mirror and love who looks back a you, love that person, and realise they need nurturing above anyone and all else. I make this a priority of mine, I look in the mirror or I take a selfie, and tell myself, Kerry you are worth more.. so do the same and never stop.

So yes, dating apps might be the main way to meet someone in 2025, and spontaneous real-life encounters might be rarer, however that doesn’t mean real love has disappeared. It means we approach dating with more awareness, more intention, and more self-worth. It means we stay open, but grounded. Hopeful, but realistic and it means we believe that the right person, whether found on an app, in a coffee shop, or through a friend, will match our effort, not take advantage of it. They will make space for us, not ask us to shrink. They will honour our giving nature, not drain it.

Romance is still alive. Good people do still exist. And no matter how complicated modern dating becomes, it’s always worth giving someone a chance when they show you they’re ready to show up too.

If we don’t keep taking chances , how will we ever know…

The Cycle

TheGirlWhoLeave a comment

Your heart skips a beat, you swipe right, and guess what ‘It’s a match’ – there really is something about that uncertainty surrounding that Right swipe, that is part of the hardwire of our brain, a primal drive to find a mate.

When a match happens, the reward pathway is activated, our Brains Ventral Tegental Area which is part of the brains reward system, that makes dopamine a neurotransmitter, that gets us on edge, alert, energised and focused, the brain memorises this pleasurable experience, and looks to seek it out again and again, almost as if this is a rush from a line of cocaine, its an addiction through and through. In addition to this being wanted and admired, gives us a feeling of love which pushes our level of oxytocin, a bonding hormone, through the roof, and it brings down our cortisol levels, so we feel less stress, and boy, is this a good feeling. So are we to blame each other for the 3 week stagnant period when perhaps those levels deplenish a little, its a chemical reaction that leads to the ‘My heads a mess, I’m not sure what I am feeling here’ – A level of confusion, we like this person, however the dopamine levels are reducing, and we don’t feel as excited, is it because we don’t like this person as much as we thought we did? Do we like them? Maybe not? Maybe I need to jump on the apps, and find someone who gives me that feeling again?

And so…

We have a cycle… and overwhelming need to feel that something special long term, not realising, that its all down to fucking chemicals…

There are so many posts on groups such as ‘Are we Dating the same Guy’ – of women wanting to know, why men constantly seek the 3 week love affair, then vanish, like they never existed…

The answer is here girls… the change in levels of hormones is the factor here, men are not naturally self aware like us, and if there are men out there, its because they have been on the journey of therapy, and. probably had a trauma in their lives that have pushed them to understand theirselves, but most men, are so reluctant to even communicate with theirselves, let alone others, so they could have the girl of their dreams on their arm, but then suddenly, start to question, why things feel a little different, why they feel different, and look to their new girl, and automatically think ‘yep, you’re not the one’ – when really they could be, but the confusion in their minds leads to the whole ‘Its not you its me’ conversation.

So next time someone bins you off, goes from ‘You’re the one’ , to ‘I’m not ready for this’ – this person is not deserving of you, because they are not self aware, and not ready to see what happens when the dopamine dips, not ready to just go with it, because they crave the fix of the chase and match..

You are worth more…

The Game..

TheGirlWho1 Comment

The game! Here is where we go wrong, I can write this, you can read it, but honestly it won’t change you or me…

Ok…

Girl meets boy, girl and boy chat nice things, sex things, marriage things. Girl goes on a date with boy, girl and boy have sex, girl goes home smiling. Girl texts boy to thank him for an amazing night, no answer, Girl calls boy in her lunch break, no answer. Girl texts after work, with deliver report on, still no answer from boy. Girl texts boy good night. Still no answer.

Two days pass, girl texts boy a few more times, still no answer. Girl thinks, has boy died? Is boy ok? Has boy fell down a mine and needs rescuing? Girl texts boy, “are you ok?” , no answer, girl is confused! Girl logs onto instagram, searches boy, boy updated status two hours ago, pheeeew! Boy is still alive! Girl thinks, maybe girl has done something wrong? Girl texts boy, girl apologises, for something, but not sure what, still no answer from boy! Girl over thinks, girl gets upset, girl cries, girl can’t eat, girl can’t sleep, girl feels sad.

Girls great auntie dies, girl texts boy to tell boy, still no answer, it gets worse, girls pet gerbil dies, girl texts boy, still no answer, girl cries again. Girl goes back to dating website, chats to more boys, but still girl texts original boy, girl thinks, girl compares all nice guys to boy, girl texts boy, still no answer….. Girl demands answers… Still no answer..

FUCK!!! When do we stop, this is what we do!! This is what us women do, I mean surely he is interested right? Surely he liked us right? This is what girls do… 

The best of it is, this situation isn’t just about boy??!!! It’s the challenge we like. Competitive or not, this is what we do! You could be the most beautiful girl on the planet, yet this will still happen with at least 1 or 2 guys in your life time, you could run your own successful businesses, yet still you become girl who lies on the couch not knowing what is going on! As women we like to win, we like to succeed, we like to know if there is a problem, because we are super human after all, we can fix anything, yes?

It’s not the boy that’s the goal here, it’s the contact! We need it, we fantasies about it, we feel we need it, in order to function! It’s the dopamine hit, the adrenaline, the addiction. Because every-time we speak to boy our dopamine levels are increased and we like that feeling, it’s the feeling we want and desire, not always the boy. Meanwhile boy is a big headed dick, who has just had his ego inflated even more. Sorry buddy, its not you the girl is chasing!!

Deep down, we know boy is a twat, not worth our time, any man who does that, is not worth it, good banter, good sex! Check your contacts girls, there are already several replacements awaiting your attention!

However none of them are boy! Boy becomes unreachable, and as humans we aim for what we can’t have! We desire what we can’t have.. We become addicted, an adrenalin rush, it heightens our sexual desires, wanting something we can’t have! We chase the thrill…

How do we stop this? How do we stop fantasising, that boy is having a bad week, and will get in touch, turn up with flowers, and be become the one… on rare occasions, after boy has fished around, boy does return, and does become mr perfect, maybe he did like you but was scared by commitment!!! Blah blah blah, I’m calling bull shit on that! If a guy is a genuine guy, he will want you, and no-one else. If a guy can fill your world with attention and disappear and have no thought about how much you like him, then what kind of human being is this?? Ghosting is cruel AF, and I hear it happening more and more. Guys will meet a girl, like a girl, but then a) Think the grass is greener b) be scared of liking the girl c) not feel ready for commitment … its quite simple. Men are a strange species, they think with their dicks, and when that initial lust dies, they want to move on, but guaranteed if you’re a good woman, they will orbit the fuck out of you, because they may like you a lot, and be intrigued by you, but overthink the situation massively. It’s like, part of them thinks Nah she’s not for me, but then there is a part of them, that is like ‘What is it about her’ , something even they can’t figure out, but their subconscious is perhaps more keen than they realise. 

Let’s think… I mean after all, as a sex, we are constantly over thinking to! What is it about boy, that makes him so special, if you took the chase out of it.. What is left? What can big offer you… He’s already shown you he bails? He’s already when you, that you are second to his über ego, yes already shown you, that he can hurt you, without a glimpse of guilt!! Is this the kind of man you need in your life? Was he really amazing, or was it just a big fat lie! To get you in his bed!

What we need, and I speak for myself here, is a man mature enough to know what he wants in life, a man to want love and happiness, and to realise maybe he does like the girl.. but men have so much variety at the touch of a button, and this is where it all goes wrong, because a man could meet mrs right forever, but still think he wants Mrs right now, fact is most guys are closed books even to theirselves, women can mess guys heads up to, they can wrestle with the weighing everything up, they will ponder back and forth, and sometimes reach the wrong decision without realising, but so can we, its called being human. We all fuck up, it’s part of the lesson of life, we let go of diamonds, men and women, sometimes we just don’t realise what we have at the time. This has happened a few times to me, I tend to date guys who are so laid back, they’re lay flat on their backs, and they can’t keep up with me, they find me immature, too chatty, too affectionate, but then they realise when they’re married off, or back being single, that wow she was really the best! I don’t say that easily, its just fact. Lets take Dave, now its been nearly 20 years since we dated, and every now and then he pops up, i’m sure he is on my block list on IG, but considering I have been moderately behaved in my 40 years, the return ratio of people reaching out every year or two, is bloody high. Some guys, I was never romantically involved with, but just have been in my orbit 10-20 years, like a strange little fixation, maybe I just bring energy to their day, but they watch every single work story I post, because the only way they can access me is via my work profiles. Odd!! The girls have a running joke, because it always happens, and it’s like they all like to keep a check on me, I like to think i’m memorable 😉 the daft, crazy girl from the midlands. The one they let get away and regret lol!

When I mentioned in last nights post, a lot of people hide behind a fake persona, and aren’t theirselves, and become who you want them to be, or who they think you want them to be, and with me I’m me, I don’t have nothing to hide, and I want longevity in love and friendships, so I say to everyone just be yourself, don’t play games, show who you are from the start, and there will be boys that love you and boys that don’t… boys that like you, and boys that don’t!

Remember girls, boys don’t see it as game playing, their fucked up, do they want it, don’t they want it mind, but yes its games, they can’t quite give you up, but then can’t quite decide if you are a 7 or 8, the deciding number! But girls, let’s evaluate this, as much as we can like boy, do we really need that dopamine hit that much, that it makes us feel shit, do we really need to be beating ourselves up, that perhaps we got way too close?? 

I recently found myself having levels of conversations, I don’t quite think I have had before, and whilst it excited the hell out of me, and I thought, maybe there is life after my ex, I then started to think, well if he can have this conversation level with me, how many more girls is he like this with, and that scared me, because I realised , fuck I like this guy, A LOT! Then the overthinking on the return path started, what if he thinks, i’m having this level of conversation with others, and this scared me off chatting to people! I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, shame, and quite disgusted with myself, I mean I hadn’t done anything wrong in hindsight, and in my own little Kerry world, I was really convinced something was there, and something was going to happen, so I invested and let my guard down, like I hadn’t before, and to be honest I spent a few weeks after not being able to eat or sleep, because I felt so disappointed in myself, the situation, in him, I had been blinded, thinking, this jigsaw piece actually matches on so many levels, wow, but sadly for me, (maybe I should say him tbh) he wasn’t on the same page, and I cringe with the ‘Its not you its me’ , first time for everything in life! I’m defo a sore looser and I think more so because what I felt and feel is/was genuine, but thats the thing, I guess I have never played the field so to speak, I have always been in a relationship, so never found myself in a situationship. I went on a date with another guy the other week, and all the way through, I was trying to be optimistic, see the positives, and I had , had the girls bang on, saying give it a chance, but as enjoyable as it was, I still couldn’t feel it, so I called a second date off… I just guess thats what life feels like right now, a big game, always someone dumping someone somewhere, because we’re indecisive and unsure who is right, who is wrong, who we want, who we don’t want, variety or monogamy, a good person, or a good looking person, we want packages that don’t exist, we want a human that isn’t yet on the market or possibly ever available. Social media has led us to this world of craving perfection, but does it really exist. 

Some days I know what I want, some days I change my mind, but I do know, I want me and my little boy to be happy, I don’t want to be with someone who can’t work out if they like me, my life experiences and heart deserve better than that, I am far from perfect, who is? But we are human, and beneath the falseness and external appearance, we have hearts, and anyone willing to play with those hearts, in their games, their orbiting, their ghosting, isn’t worth our time, respect and love, have to come from within, however hard it may be, however much you can look at someone and melt, they are not worth it! Save your heart and maybe , just maybe, prince charming will sweep you off your feet, maybe he will wake most days thinking off you, maybe he will think you’re worth a second date , maybe he will shower you with genuine compliments and affection, and can’t wait to hold you in his arms… and maybe just maybe, when you kiss, its something else, and a kiss both of you haven’t felt before, or in a long time, hold out your mind and body for that person….

Love 

Kerry xxx

To swipe or not to swipe.. what a mistake..

TheGirlWhoLeave a comment

You download the app, upload your very best pictures, write your bio of the shiny person you see yourself to be, and you’re off! 

You may as well be sat in the casino, it’s the hand held slot machine, dehumanising people, and un-romantizing love, desensitising us to emotions and thoughts, and us leading with our groins and the idea of spontaneous sex. The internet version of a sweet shop at your finger tips. Only the very best versions of everyone for sale…

I find myself using the apps out of boredom, my hand in continuous motion of swiping left, because realistically I don’t want to meet anyone off there.  I swipe left that quickly and constantly that I do occasionally think ‘fuck’ he was fit, and I’m certainly not paying a subscription to swipe back! 

I find with me everyone in my inbox looks like a clone of the next, 6ft+, stubble, nice eyes, floppy dark hair, tanned.. it’s quite the running theme for me. I have a type and unless people fit the type I tend to switch off very early! 

Now the difference between bumble and tinder, is bumble is about the girl making the first move, that really isn’t me! Someone once told me tinder is a hook up site, and bumble is more classy, nope… pretty much everyone inc that guy is on both sites anyway, but I prefer tinder as I prefer a guy to make the first move, in my head it sits with my kinda traditional values and wants in a guy. 

What I don’t understand is the cult like following these apps generate, the only thought and notion that this is the only way to meet someone, and sometimes in my own head I’m perplexed why I find myself thinking the same, maybe because I’m a single parent? I feel I’m in a rat race, and competition and it’s killing my soul, I’m judged at a swipe, my whole life and who I am judged by a swipe of someone’s disjointed view on reality because 80% of women are edited to fuck on there! Is it even a fair race! 

I consider myself a good person, but I find myself questioning with every session on the apps, in my head it’s a constant no, no, no, no.. it becomes boring, and when I do find a hottie, I’m like, ok is he a cat fish! 😜

A few months ago now, I kept coming across a profile of a guy who was kind of my type, but wasn’t, hard to explain, and I had this gut feeling that nope ‘judgemental, chasing 25 year olds, loves himself, fuckboy’ , but he kept popping up in my radius, and I found myself thinking just swipe right, and as bumble is, I made the first move, and looking back with how I feel now, I love and hate the fact I matched! It’s a strange one with this guy, as we have children the same age, we frequent the same coffee shop and he lived just a few miles from me pretty much the last decade, but we never crossed paths, and in all honesty, being in love with David, I never would even look at another man, so maybe I just didn’t notice him. Fast forward on 2-3 months and I’m left even after the last few weeks, feeling like I don’t want to date or talk to a man ever again! 

So conversation started and I can’t explain but something about this conversation felt perfectly safe, easy, nice, we would speak and text for hours on end, and like I said I can’t explain, it felt different. I would find myself absorbed in him, infected by a lust and addicted to his chat, hours would go by of my day, and I would be sat laughing at our whole chat. When we wouldn’t speak for a few days I found myself missing him! My friends were convinced he had a girlfriend, but nope he was single, he would just vanish for a few days, and then bounce back into my life and the chat would start all over again! 

After 3 weeks chatting we went on a date, something about his company felt different, and like I said in some ways he was my type esp height wise, but perhaps facially a little different to my norm, but I found myself so shy, so excited and so turned on in his company, I spent the whole date wanting him, thinking about wanting him, then we parted on a kiss, and left! Five minutes drive later I realised I was behind him in My car, and he asked me to follow him, the excitement was incredible and I found myself jumping in his car to kiss him, and I can honestly say it’s one of the most passionate kisses I have ever had, it left me wanting a lot more. 

From that moment on the intensity and chat grew, and I couldn’t wait to see him again, we still spoke daily, but he still wasn’t asking me for a second date, the weeks went on and my girls warned and warned me, but you know me always wants to see the good in someone, and always holding out for that belief prince charming did exist, I mean we spoke daily, pretty much, of the normal and sexual chat, so in my head, I was like he is just a busy person like me, and he must like me? We exchange pics and chat! I even found myself dropping hints and taking the mick as to when the second date will be, and still he skipped over the subject, part of me was like ‘This is ridic’ and thinking in my head, this guy is on the look out for another. Then when he was on holiday the girls said to me, check his Bumble location, as I didn’t realise it changes to where you are when you are using it, WOW to say I was crushed when I saw his location was spain was an understatement, and after thinking all night, I sent him a message to say goodbye and all the best, it coincided with a very serious issue my friend had, had over her pics being sent around, and thankfully he didn’t have anything quite like that, but still the whole episode filled me with major anxiety, and I said by goodbyes, but I found myself not being able to delete our chat or his number, so a few hours later, before he had seen the message, I was able to delete!!! This was my error, I should have walked away!! It was just so hard because he really is a good person and not your typical dick!

Now anyone who has been deeply in love with a long term ex, this will resonate, when you finally meet someone you ‘feel’ something for, the overwhelming sense of guilt, even though I have been single for so long, I felt like I was cheating on David, he is what feels like my life long love in so many ways, and I felt ashamed that I finally really liked someone else, even now I sit here with such conflicting thoughts. The ship with David has sailed, and there will always be a love, I recently asked him if he still fancied me, and he does, lol, but with family drama, he has said himself now, from my actions and his actions, too much has gone on, and in a real outside look, we know there is no future, but as father of my child, I cannot help but feel guilty, and I know thats because the love I had with him was very real.

Now back to my bumble situ, the weeks had passed, and one morning when I was an absolute shit state of a mum on the school run, I went into get my normal morning coffee, and I cannot even begin to explain what happened!!!!!! He was in there, so rather than be my normal self and bounce over to him, I mean we had spoken daily and already met, my anxiety took over and, coupled with the fact his ex knows everyone in the coffee shop, for a few moments I had a million thoughts in my head, will he appreciate me speaking to him?? Will the staff notice? Is he busy working? So I sat away, and had work to do myself, but then found myself texting him from a few tables away, feeling so foolish, thinking, I just want to, go and sit by him, but then it was time to leave, and I went and sat in the car, kicking myself, then he came up-to the passenger window, and I found myself almost back to normal with his smile, like I said, facially he wasn’t my normal type, but he has the most kindest eyes and cute face, and I cheekily asked him to get in (slightly embarrassed by the state of my car, joe and I are complete car scruffs) , I pulled around the. corner to his car, and in my head I was like, wow I look a shit state, my face is puffy from steroids, I have endo belly, and I’m in my scruffs, but at the same time, I was like no this is him, he knows me, its fine, we kissed in my car for a few mins, and he was on his way, for a few hours after we exchanged messages, and all seemed normal, then nothing… nothing for 2/3 days, I went into the coffee shop and the weirdest thing happened, I realised his ex and daughter were sat right next to me, after I heard her name called, after they left I sat there looking at the couple of messages I had sent him, and deleted them, and I drove home, then a text came through from him, asking if I had deleted them because he hadn’t been in touch, and had I got five minutes to speak! FUCK MY LIFE, in my 40 years on this planet I got my first, ‘Its not you its me’ , I listened to what he had to say, and could feel myself feeling an immense sense of being crushed, and I came off the call and sobbed, almost like a boyfriend had broken up with me, then I was crying, because I felt stupid, I mean what even was it, why was I so connected to him, why did it weirdly feel like it was something, when really it hadn’t been, but like my friends told me, chatting to someone daily for hours on end, is like a relationship, label or not, 2 whole months of this, not just a few weeks! Its been 2/3 weeks now, and its beyond crushed me, because I genuinely like the guy, and he said we are not on the same page, and he wants to be on his own, which is clearly ‘Ive met someone else’ or ‘I don’t fancy you’ , because if someone likes someone, they make time and they want to be in your life and you in theres, its just fact! I stepped away and didn’t speak to him for a while, but I found myself missing him, missing his chat, and the other day he hinted I must have dates lined up, (talk about friendzone comment), and I just said nope, you’ve put me off men, what I really wanted to say was, ‘I’ve fallen for you so much’, …but hey I’m not that much of a dick, he isn’t stupid, he knows , he’s just a nice guy, who tried to dress up hurting me with the ‘Its not you its me’ , because like my gut told me, he’s probably the type of guy going after 25 year old influencers.

…..And this folks is the reality of internet dating, everyone the majority of times ends up on the wrong page, driven by lust and desire, because after all we are driven by chemical reaction, and not the person behind the image, the sad thing about us women, is we want to believe the good in people, especially if any of you are like me, and when we chat and get on so so well with someone, it almost sets a foundation for ‘what ifs’ to creep in. I can’t say what the hell happened to me on this one, and perhaps now i’m still delusional thinking, that kind of connection is rare, but however much it was real on my side, it wasn’t for him, and reality is he’s probably like that with everyone he swipes right on. The only thing I’m left with is ‘what a shame’ if anything was ever real on his side, we didn’t even have sex or get intimate, which knowing me, would have solidified a big yey or ney, but after a few months, I really did think, that was the next step.

When everyone says to me, “Forget him, there are plenty more, look at your matches,” I just cannot act like that. My friends love me because they are brutally honest. One of my best friends even said, “You probably feel more guilty because you were with your ex for so long.” I guess that is true to some extent, but whatever we were, this guy and I, it was genuine for me. I’ll still feel the same a few weeks on. And when this week he asked what my plans were, I was romanticizing of him asking me out, or to see me, but I find a lot of his chat weirdly made me feel like that, so maybe all along it was in my head, and the sexy talk time, was a means to an end to pass his lunch hour..

So ladies, what are your thoughts on app dating, what are your stories? Has this ever happened to you? Have you fallen for a stranger? Lets share our dating app stories, have you fallen for someone who has given you the ‘Its not you its me’ ??? Very interested to hear…