Experts say new apps show smartphones are becoming an essential part of the dating world for everything from hookups to breakups - or even getting out of a bad first date. This week dating site eHarmony.com launched The Bad Date Rescue app, which allows users to set up a faux emergency call to get out of a date gone wrong hassle-free. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Plume
July 11, 2012 - 2:58 PM
TORONTO - Experts say new apps show smartphones are becoming an essential part of the dating world for everything from hookups to breakups — or even getting out of a bad first date.
This week dating site eHarmony.com launched The Bad Date Rescue app, which allows users to set up a faux emergency call to get out of a date gone wrong hassle-free.
Experts disagree over the new app's usefulness — some say it's a good way to skedaddle out of a bad date, but others say a call from a real-live person might be a better option in case safety becomes an issue.
But Queens University media professor Sidneyeve Matrix of Kingston, Ont., says there's no question smartphones are increasingly becoming an important part of any single person's dating arsenal.
She points to the trend of using GPS-based apps that "help you to find a hottie in the vicinity."
Matrix says we're now more comfortable getting to know each other through mobile communication including "statversations," which are conversations through 140-character status updates.
She says the flipside to increased use of technology in the dating world is that we're also getting dumped by text message.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012