Dating app Hinge has revealed new research about ‘the phone zone’, the never-ending texting with a new match on a dating app. The study looks at how common these ‘textationships’ are, and how singles can avoid them.
Hinge shared that 51% of daters have found themselves in a ‘textationship’ at least once in the past three months.
This is surprising as 62% of singles say that they are ready to schedule a date after three days of chatting. However, only 34% of Hinge users manage to plan a date within that time.
Logan Ury, Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science, points out that chemistry over text won’t necessarily translate when meeting in person. She highlights that meeting in person sooner rather than later, may be beneficial.
For singles who are apprehensive about wasting time on a bad date, Ury suggests a date via video call can be a valuable precursor before meeting IRL.
Being too nervous to ask someone on a date may also be a cause of ‘textationships’. Ury suggests anxious singles try some of these phrases:
- ‘The next time they start to tell you a story, try telling them that you’d rather hear it in person, and suggest a place and time to meet up’
- ‘If they ask you a question, say, “It’s kind of a long story to type, I’ll tell you about it in person! Drinks tomorrow?”’