It’s over: Snuffing out the flames of online dating

The last time Vinith Krishnan, a 38-year-old investment banker in Bengaluru, matched with a woman on Bumble, was in June 2023. By the time he realised she’d hit him up only for a job reference, a whole month and five dates had gone by. “Imagine how I felt. It’s okay to want a job reference, but why string me along for five dates to do that? I ended up feeling like a loser. Things like this didn’t happen when we met people at parties or through friends,” says Krishnan. He’s currently single but unwilling to get back on a dating app anytime soon.