Being single comes with its own set of hurdles, and they all seem to end in the word 'fishing'.
Catfishing and wokefishing have now been joined by another weird dating trend: voicefishing. After the addition of voice-notes to dating apps such as Hinge, people are now worried their date might show up with a very different voice to the one they shared online.
With so much emphasis placed on phone voices and sexy accents, it seems like singletons are deliberately trying to change up their sound on voice notes and calls in order to appeal more to their matches. People have been left in shock after realising their date's voice isn't the same in person as it is online.
The term was originally coined by Hinge, after they started rolling out vocal prompts on their dating profiles. Profile prompts have been a great addition to dating apps for some time, with users able to answer questions like 'if you had one super power, what would it be?'
Advert
For those who struggle with typing, or simply feel like their personality doesn't shine through the written word as much as they'd like it to, they can answer each question verbally.
Seems like a fun little feature, right? What could possibly go wrong...?
According to a study conducted by Hinge themselves, "half of our users have become less attracted to a match after hearing the sound of their voice". People have shared that their dates' IRL voices have made them feel "uncomfortable, annoyed and even disgusted".
Advert
Hinge decided to name the phenomenon 'voicefishing', and have predicted that the trend could "make or break a match".
They continued, "almost two-thirds of Hinge users say voice is an important factor in determining whether they like someone".
Tyla spoke to relationship expert James Thomas in order to get a better sense of what voicefishing actually is.
Advert
"Voicefishing is someone who puts on a fake accent or choice of dialect in attempt to impress potential matches", he said.
"In order to build an authentic connection with someone and avoid any confusion, you should write in the way that you speak".
We asked him if he had any other tips for steering away from the strange new trend.
Advert
"If you choose to add a voice-note to your profile, ensure you are feeling good and carrying a warm energy," he said.
"If you aren't feeling like yourself, it's more likely your voice will reflect this. A good way to find out more about a match on a personal level is to WhatsApp voice-note your matches before your first date. It might seem daunting at first, but it's better to take the risk".
In other creepy dating trend news, people are finally calling out their partners for Weaponising Incompetence.
Advert
You can read more about that here.
Featured Image Credit: UnsplashTopics: Sex and Relationships, Life, Real Life