What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with stories of other people’s dates? If your answer is “none,” then, boy, do we have the book for you. It’s called IRL, and curiously enough, it’s a book published by dating app Hinge to remind folks that romance might still exist, even if you can’t find it by swiping on your phone. With more than 40 date stories, new statistics about digital dating, and the best date spots from across the country, this book just may be what you need to turn your love life around.
Described as a “refreshingly hopeful take on modern love,” IRL, which stands for “in real life,” seeks to highlight success stories that have emerged from what is often the cesspool of online dating. While we all have our horror stories, it only takes one winner to make the whole process worthwhile.
“Digital dating has gotten a bad rap lately — there are bad actors and swipe fatigue. But when it comes down to it, digital dating works,” Hinge explained, “Millions of couples have formed, and apps like Hinge have committed to helping people find something real.”
To compile the stories found in IRL, Hinge surveyed more than 2,000 users about their digital dating experiences. And if anyone is going to have a positive online dating experience, it just may be a Hinge user — after all, the app depends on mutual connections to make connections, and now claims to be 25 times more effective than other free swiping apps.
“Love is rare; and digital dating not only increases one’s chances of finding it, it has unexpected upsides as well: friendship, conversation, and the kind of connections that only happen IRL,” writes New York Times bestselling author and “Modern Love” contributor, Deborah Copaken in the book’s foreword. “IRL reminds us that for every tale of woe, there’s an equally compelling love story: tiny rafts of optimism and hope on an oft-roiling dating sea. Hinge not only believes in love, they believe in the quest to find it. If you do, too, read on. These are your stories.”
You can check out a full digital copy here, or order an IRL version of IRL beginning today.
