Dating apps have revolutionised the world of love and romance in modern time. All you need to do is create an account on dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble etc, swipe right and get ready to meet the love of your live in a smart outfit. Its amazing to see how quickly the world around us has taken a huge transition from roses on dates to ‘your place or mine?’
It is a fact that dating apps have empowered people’s choices of staying single and yet finding their sexual partners just by swiping on a dating apps.
But the question still remains, ‘how to ensure consent remains relevant in online dating?’
Consent is much more than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’
Consent can’t only be defined by a yes or no. Your partner needs to feel comfortable before he/she take the next step. Remember, there are no muddy waters. Communication is key and it has to be transparent.
In modern dating there is also a growing trend of ‘respecting boundaries. According to Tinder’s Future of Dating report, the use of the word ‘boundaries’ went up to 28% while ‘consent’ went up to 21% in the dating app. With this, people can be clearer with their expectations and boundaries when it comes to dating intimacy details.
Another important point to note is that silence is not consent. You should understand that not saying a no doesn’t mean the person has said a yes.
A long road ahead
Despite greater awareness about the concept of consent in modern relationships, it is rather unfortunate that many people still don’t understand the importance of consent. The recent “MarriageStrike trend on twitter proves that the era of peak patriarchy is not over yet.
This trend is also seen as a sly victory of the feminist movement. Many social activists believe that men deciding to opt out of marriage if marital rape is criminalised is a huge win-win for the feminist movement.
What can we do as partners?
We just have to ensure that the consent of our partner is top priority in whatever we are doing with them – household chores, travel plans, kid’s education and even SEX!
The recipe is as simple, no complication and no tall talks. Keep it is sweet and straight.