I’m a 54-year-old man, recently separated from my wife of 31 years - just earlier this month. Honestly, I’m already feeling bored and lonely, so I’ve been considering trying out dating apps (I’ve never used one before). However, my sons (30 and 28) tell me it’s a waste of time and possibly even a scam, and I’ve seen similar opinions online. So I’m not sure what to think.
I’ve had a lot of different hobbies over the past ~ 10 years, some for a shorter and some for a longer time. Not once has that resulted in a genuine romantic connection. Not even a date.
On the other hand, I have had a lot of success finding romantic partners both on dating apps and in bars. All of the partners I’ve found that way have been at least somewhat likeminded and I’ve shared interests and hobbies with them. On an app, you see the person’s interests in the profile, in a bar you can talk to them and find out whether you have something in common.
Maybe it’s against the etiquette to seek out romantic partners at hobby events around here (a nordic country). Maybe I just personally don’t like doing that. Either way, I totally understand if somebody wants to date in spaces that specifically cater to that.
Not the issue here. It seems like OP wants a sexual toy for intimacy. Definitely don’t go looking for that type of relationship in friend and hobby spaces. But most of my friend’s relationships came out of friendships built on said social circles. My longest relationship ever (now ended for other reasons) came from a videogaming club, a friend of a friend.
I have no interest discussing in your extrapolations of OP’s motivations and behavior