Almost every phone in the world has a social media app installed. People use them to find memes, job opportunities, houses for rent, items for sale, and lastly, one of the most sought-after things: love relationships.
According to Social Media Relationship Statistics 2024, 3.6 billion users use social media platforms to build relationships, and 42 percent of users who date online look forward to getting married with their partners.
Moreover, more than a third of marriages happen on social media sites and last longer than couples who meet online. This makes social media platforms a hopeful place for those who want to tie the knot.
In a Tanong ng Bayan post by The Filipino Times, 50% of the respondents said that they have found their true love offline. Hwe
Why people move on from dating apps
In the past, people flocked to dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and the like to find “the one.” But these days, netizens are using social media apps for online dating for several different reasons.
One of the main reasons why social media apps are the new thing is because dating apps have been filled with bots, scammers, and the like. Last year, research from Barclays showed that so-called romance scams increased by 60 percent among 2,000 consumers.
Those aged between 51 and 60 were a part of the 35 percent who lost all their money to romance scammers while 21 to 30-year-olds were twice as likely to fall victim to such schemes.
Social media promotes trust and compatibility
Social media apps alleviate much of the doubt, as it requires more time and effort for someone to create impersonating profiles. Social media profiles that verify backgrounds and qualifications, creativity and range of interests, milestones and accolades, and much more all contribute to making someone a genuine, trustworthy person.
Experts also explained that social media profiles as well as content that inhibit confidence can make one look more attractive. [[insert answers from miss Alex regarding confidence]]
Apart from trust, social media also promotes compatibility. One can take a look at someone else’s profile, see their content, and get a sense of their interests and lifestyle. For instance, those who love cooking will get more content from chefs and food enthusiasts, thanks to the algorithm.
Hundreds of people have found relationships online. Are they simply lucky? Or is there a hack to it?
Friend requests turned love relationships
Not all social media platforms are equally effective for finding meaningful relationships. Some are more successful than others. For instance, 29.2% of the respondents in the Tanong ng Bayan post said that they found their true love on Facebook.
Diamond Alista shared how her love story blossomed from a simple friend request at the age of 40. When Zahid messaged her, she was interested but remained cautious.
“First meet namin, kasama ko kaibigan ko. First date namin, kasama pa rin kaibigan ko,” she said. “Lagi akong may bodyguard,” she added. She also shared how she was cautious not to bring him to her room, which he respected.
“I never thought na mahahanap ko sa Facebook si the one kasi nga, andaming scam sa Facebook or any apps,” Alista said.
“Same po kaming walang anak. Pareho din po kaming dalaga at binata,” she explained, sharing how Zahid even brought her to his hometown to introduce her to his Christian mom and bring her to church to prove his love for her.
Tumitibok-tibok sa TikTok
Aside from Facebook, 8.3% of TFT readers who answered our poll found their significant others on TikTok.
People have shared that they found their significant other on TikTok by joining live streams, aside from commenting on videos and dueting with their crush.
Dubai-based Vincent Carter Tumangday, a solo parent, shared how he found “the one” on TikTok after seven long years of being single.
He joined a friend’s Livestream video, where he met another single parent, Monaliza, who was also joining the session. After following each other on the app, Monaliza initiated a chat, and the rest was history.
“Nag-voice call kami, tapos sa araw-araw kaming mag-kausap, hindi naman kami nag ligawan hanggang nag ka-developan nalang,” Tumangday narrated.
“Hindi namin namalayan na mahal na namin ang isa’t isa at ginawan namin ng official day na sinagot niya ako para may monthsary kami,” he added.
Both of them have already introduced each other to their parents and are planning to save up money to get married next year.
Social media apps are redefining the online dating scene. Although social media apps are more trustworthy than dating apps for some users, it is important that one still take precautions to keep their love life scam-proof.
How about you, TFT? Do you have interesting love stories to share?
