Catch Feelings, Not Cases
Dating trapps
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we turn our focus to Australia’s most common way to meet a partner: dating apps. Although technology has unlocked the door to profound advances, it has also become a formidable partner in greater threats and exposures.
Whether your ‘match’ claims to be a:
Park Ranger, Art Major, or House Stager; when it comes to a stranger, there can always be danger.
A recent study by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that within the five years leading up to 2021, three out of four individuals using dating apps experienced some form of sexual violence. This underpins the urgent need for improved safety measures and user awareness in the online dating sphere.
The Australian Government has issued a deadline that aims to encourage dating apps to bolster user safety by the middle of this year. Prioritizing personal safety is paramount for users.
For additional insights into the government's actions in relation to dating apps, click here.
How can you protect yourself?
If you're in the mood to fool around and find out this Valentine's Day, or to curate a date for a potential more than just a mate, then we've got 3 valuable tips that are useful for men, women and everyone else.
1. Meet in a public space (Restaurant, Arcade etc.)
Comfortability is paramount on a first date and being around other people provides security for all involved.
2. Share your location
Whether through an app like Life360, sharing your trip status with a friend on Uber, or having a person you trust on standby, sharing your location helps prevent and minimize potential risks and danger.
Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash
3. Setting a time limit
Having a “finish time” not only helps manage expectations but also provides an easy exit if needed. Having a predefined end time allows you to gauge the interaction, and decide if you want to extend or conclude the date.
Love can sometimes come at a hefty price
When it comes to obscure laws, the United States of America never fails to surprise. Similarly, on Valentine's Day, the encouragement for romantic gestures knows no bounds—be it writing a note, sending a text, or presenting someone with a gift. Except in Louisiana…
In Louisiana, if you sent someone a pizza without their consent on Valentine’s Day you could be hit with a $500 fine!
While it's highly unlikely that someone would report you for sending them a free pizza, Louisiana law mandates informing them in advance. It's still astonishing that there are laws restricting such gestures, which once again highlights the significant variations in laws worldwide. You can read more about this obscurity here.
Bad Advice from jeremy
Here are my top 3 ways to ask out your crush this Valentine’s Day:
Griffith Uni Crushes Facebook page
Remain anonymous, find out if they are single and provide me with some entertainment as I (definitely don’t start laughing) read the heartfelt (cringe) message you sent on the page.
Skywriting
What’s the worst that could happen with such a small gesture…public humiliation? Financial ruin? Pftttt.
Don’t. Like seriously, just… don’t.
I’m scared, you’re scared, and as humans we are all scared. So let’s just wait for love to arrive on our doorstep, and do nothing. Why not just keep living in the reality where you are pretty sure they maybe might kinda like you a little bit?