It’s 2025. The world is still swiping, and guess what? So are we. Maybe you’re a seasoned veteran of the dating apps, or someone just now diving in with the hope that one of these profiles will be more than a flicker of a potential match. But after a decade of digital dating, are we closer to finding love? Or are we just better at swiping through our existential crises?
We’ve got more apps, more choices, and more profiles than ever before. So why are we still single? More importantly, why are we still swiping? The truth is, we’ve all become masters of connectivity with no real connection.
The modern Filipino dater’s dilemma
Let’s talk about it. Dating today is an all-encompassing quest to finding love, navigating cultural expectations & family pressures, and managing that constant stream of “when will you find someone?” from lola.
Add the endless convenience of dating apps, and suddenly, we’re trying to juggle traditional values with our modern-day need for instant gratification. We’ve got apps for days, but does that make it any easier?
Back in the day, we were all about the one-on-one dates, facing that pressure to meet the family and establish something real. Now? We swipe through faces while trying to juggle life, career, and, oh yeah, trying not to let our online neighbors find out about our digital love life (please, no screenshots).
We’re multitasking our way through half-baked chats, fleeting connections, and deep, emotionally charged conversations, wondering, “Is this person worth my time or just another #swipeleft?”
Back in the day, we were all about the 1-on-1 dates, facing that pressure to meet the family and establish something real.
So, why do we keep swiping?
It’s the paradox of the digital age. We have access to more people than ever, yet often find ourselves feeling more disconnected than before. The algorithms feed us the best candidates, but somehow, the matches feel hollow. In this digital world, we’re all more connected but emotionally more alone.
So, why do we keep swiping? The answer is hope. It’s the faint belief that somewhere, between the miscommunications, ghosting, and awkward small talk, there’s a real connection waiting to be found. We’re addicted to the idea that maybe, just maybe, this juan will be different. And sometimes, we’re just swiping to stave off boredom or fill the quiet gaps in our day. Either way, there’s always that little glimmer of optimism that keeps us going.
But how many times have we found ourselves lost in the digital noise, swiping through profiles like a mindless routine, only to feel more isolated at the end of it? It’s like we’re connected, but not really. Like trying to have a conversation in a room full of people, only to realize no one’s actually talking to you.
Are there still benefits to dating apps?
A decade ago, I was a self-proclaimed golden goddess in a foreign land with a smart phone, big opinions, and bigger brows. Tinder was a new frontier, a wild and hopeful land where swiping left was still a novelty, and “dating” meant encountering either the love of your life or the latest heartbreak.
Now, it’s evolved. But has it evolved for better or worse? With more profiles and more choice comes more pressure to sift through them, and honestly? Sometimes it just feels like scrolling through a catalog of faces without ever really connecting with any of them.
So, let’s break it down. Here are the pros and cons of online dating up to today:
PROs
- You can flirt while waiting in line for your cold brew (hello, miss productivity!)
- You’ve mastered the art of cropping your ex out of your best pic (we’ve all done it. Justice for good lighting.)
- Memes in people’s profiles now say more than entire conversations used to (a red flag? Maybe. But efficient? Absolutely.)
- Some bios are actually funny now (like “CEO of overthinking” or “Hot take: I liked Barbie but loved Oppenheimer.”)
- You might meet someone genuinely cool—emotionally intelligent, therapy-going, wine-over-whisky-drinking—someone who might actually know what they want.
- You now know what you want (And what you definitely don’t want again).
CONs
- The existential spiral when someone unmatched you mid-convo… while you were literally being charming.
- “I’m not really on here much” is likely code for “I have a girlfriend but I’m bored at brunch.”
- Realizing you’ve matched with someone who ghosted you in 2019. And 2021. It’s like dating déjà vu.
- Everything feels like an interview: “What do you do?” “What do you want?” “What’s your five-year plan?” M’dear, I just want a drink and maybe a PG kiss, okay?
- Accidentally swiping left on someone hot and the app’s like “Welp, that’s your only shot. Good luck!”
- The sheer math of it all: 100 swipes, 10 matches, 2 convos, one “let’s hang,” and zero follow-through. (Is it even worth counting anymore?)
There’s magic in the making..
But then—ah, there it is. The moment you finally break through the haze. After all the bad jokes, ghostings, and awkward convos that had you questioning your self-worth, you meet someone who actually gets it. It’s like going through a digital wasteland to find that one oasis where both of you get to exist for real.
Sure, it’s rare. And sure, it takes a lot of patience (and maybe a few too many “What’s your five-year plan?” interrogations). But that moment when someone doesn’t just passively engage but actively connects? That’s the kind of magic we’ve been swiping for. The real one-on-one energy we crave. And suddenly, all the endless scrolling doesn’t feel like a wasted effort anymore.
It’s when the end justifies the means, those 50 mediocre convos don’t matter, because you finally found someone worth investing in. And for once, you’re not just swiping for the hell of it; you’re swiping for something real.
Final thoughts (and feelings™)
Dating apps are still a party on your phone, but now you’re the one checking the exits, dodging your ex’s new burner profile, and hoping someone out there actually wants more than just good banter and a shared Google Calendar. It’s like a dream party that doesn’t end, until the hangover sets in, of course.
Even after all the swiping, ghosting, and disappointments, there’s that glimmer of hope, that maybe someone out there truly gets it, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be the one who doesn’t get ghosted.
Love in the digital world isn’t guaranteed, but it’s that tiny chance, that one flicker of real connection, that keeps us swiping. After all, sometimes it’s the journey, the odds, and the “What if?” that make the ride worth it.
