thinks I don’t like him at all. I hold no grudges, and I still have dating apps to be nosy. How does an online hookup make you feel? CAMRYN: It’s not for everybody. I do not prefer it, but it is convenient. TIZZ: Online dating makes me feel like a window shopper. I also do not prefer it, but I like that I have a whole list of options to choose from. Does social media, aside from dating apps, have any significance? CAMRYN: Social media plays a huge part in online dating as well because it is more direct. TIZZ: Social media has a huge impact. Dating sites only show-and-tell you so much about a person, but once you see their actual socials such as Instagram or Facebook, you learn so much more about them. Is it easier to have an online hookup than deal with someone in person? Do you consider it safe? CAMRYN: It’s easier for those who think it is. It truly depends on what you want from a situation at the moment. Unfortunately, there are a lot of horror stories that are less humorous than ours, and that’s where safety issues come in. I do believe that anything on social media can be sketchy, so you have to be cautious. Most sites share the same privacy settings. TIZZ: Yes, it is easier because you’re simply dealing with someone online. No, because you lack a lot of real authentic connections. Personally, I have not met anyone in person. People hide behind screens often, so you never truly know who you are dealing with until you do meet. I would need to meet in a public area first. One time I matched with a guy, and we already followed each other on social media. I posted a picture one day and he commented that we live in the same neighborhood. I did not like that that much.
Would you recommend online dating to your friends and family? CAMRYN: Only if someone inquired about it. TIZZ: To my family? No! They should already be happy. Friends? I would tell them to download these apps for entertainment and to see who they match with locally. How satisfied are you with online dating? CAMRYN: I am dissatisfied with it. I think that it’s unnecessary to have to pay for add-ons to speak. Online dating is not promising at all. TIZZ: I am neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Some people take it really seriously while others [like me] don’t. A love or horror story? Online hookups can be good, bad and a little bit of everything in between. It takes a lot of patience to figure out who you are really dealing with and their true intentions. Sometimes things can start sweet then go sour while other times things can barely even start. Overall, it’s important to be aware of who you’re hooking up with and in this case, be aware of if they’re trying to hookup with your friend, too!
Tizz is a 23- year-old woman from Jacksonville. She currently resides in Orlando, and her relationship status is “single, but it’s complicated.”
quickly that he was trying to do some funny business. CAMRYN: He also tried to invite each of us to hang out with him and his “homies” at the same time. Next, it was an invite to meet his family. TIZZ: The strangest part of it all is that Joseph claimed that he and I met at a football game. I never even talked to him on the phone or met up in person. I didn’t even like the sound of his voice from a voice message he had sent me. He did way too much from the beginning. CAMRYN: After we really caught on to his habits, we thought we’d start joking around with him too by both asking to hang out at the same time or do the same things. Of course he didn’t find it funny – go figure! Overall, Joseph was weird. He tried to hang out with the both of us and act like that was not the case too many times. The whole entire thing started to feel like a setup. I stopped talking to him, and even though I still have dating apps on my phone I hardly use them anymore because things never get too far. TIZZ: He’s one of those guys that tries to act like he’s “the man” and truthfully, all of that was probably normal to him. Although he and I spoke more often than him and Camryn, I officially stopped speaking with him, and he
Camryn is a 23-year-old single woman from St. Petersburg. She currently resides in Orlando.
RADIANTLY BLACK
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VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 1
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