Contra dating is apparently key to navigating the treacherous world of dating – and it could even help in the search for true love.
Whether we realise it or not, we all have a dating pattern. In the best-case scenario, our date must look like they’ve just strolled off a film set (we’re looking at you, Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie), be whip-smart, and have every other quality we’ve romanticised since childhood. But that’s just it, rom-coms aren’t real life – louder for the people at the back!
But what happens when we can’t snap out of our dating patterns? Well, the solution might just lie in the hottest dating trend of 2024. Enter: contra dating.
How does contra dating work?
How are you supposed to find love on a dating app? Can a swipe to the left or right really decide your happiness in love? It’s unclear, but one thing is certain: it’s definitely worth a try, even if you sometimes get dating burnout from what’s on offer. And that’s exactly when it’s time to try something new (and turn the algorithm of dating apps on its head) with contra dating.
According to the dating app Plenty of Fish, which was the first to notice the trend among its users, contra-dating is a bit like opposite day: You simply state completely different interests than you normally would, which means you’re more likely to date outside of the bubble you’ve (and your dating app) has inadvertently created.
So if you normally state that Barbie is your favourite movie, you love listening to Taylor Swift and going to yoga, then invite chaos (and maybe your future partner) into the game and state in your dating app bio that you really liked Oppenheimer, enjoy Thai boxing and actually prefer listening to Fred Again.
And don’t worry, it’s not lying, per se. It’s simply a way for us to get to know other people in our these algorithmic times.
Contra dating also works IRL. I mean, who hasn’t invented a new identity just in time for a night out on the tiles? If you’re usually found out at your local boozer, why not switch things up and head to a lecture on physics – we see you 3 Body Problem – or a classical concert? We’re serious. What’s the worst that can happen? You learn something new?
What if contra-dating doesn’t work out?
Suppose you switch up your dating app bio, get lots of new people suggested to you, and even meet a few matches – but you still don’t find the love of your life. What should you do then?
That’s entirely up to you. You can, of course, change your interests back, but it’s important to view dating as an oppurtunity to get to know lots of people with different interests that you would never have met otherwise. Because if you remain open to and interested in other people, you’ll discover new sides to yourself and the people around you.
And who knows, maybe that Oppenheimer fan will turn out to be a real Ken after all.
This article was originally published on Glamour Germany.