Whether on the search for a hook-up or something longer-lasting, digital dating platforms have become the first port of call for many singletons. Canvas8 spoke to three experts to learn more about the modern romance landscape and to find out whether apps have killed the long-term relationship.

The popularity of online dating is growing in France, but it still carries associations of 1990s-era ‘trash dating’, and there are noteworthy differences in how men and women use these platforms. What are French women looking for? Fun, empowerment, and opportunities to meet offline.

Dating apps may have made it easier for people to meet potential partners, but they’ve also become something of a hotbed for issues like harassment and abuse. Amid growing concerns about online and offline safety, pressure is mounting on developers to better protect their users.

Dating app Blindlee is shaking up the landscape by using video calling as the medium through which people first connect. To stand out from competition like Bumble and Hinge, Blindlee is recreating the IRL first date feel online, helping couples quickly decide whether they have chemistry.