Frankly, most of us have downloaded dating apps at some point, swiped twice, left for good after getting ghosted, re-downloaded three days later (because hope), then sworn never again. But then along comes Stacy Michuki, former Miss Universe Kenya 2019, and the narrative flips on its back.
Yes, people, Stacy met her now-husband, Jordan Lee, on Bumble. Not at a glamorous red-carpet event, not through mutual friends at Sankara’s rooftop bar, nope. But, a simple “You look interesting” and a swipe right on dating apps. Fast forward, and they are vacationing as a couple on family trips to Greece, living soft, and, according to Jordan’s now-viral Instagram reel, “making $30k a day” as they are in Greece sipping mojitos and “leveraging A.I.”
Jordan captioned:
“After meeting Stacy, I realized the goal isn’t to earn a lot of money but to have unlimited freedom.”
The internet? Lost its mind.
Some decried Jordan’s post a scam (could be), others announced that Bumble was broken. (“Because where is my Jordan?”), and some actually said it inspired them to dust off their profiles and try again on dating apps.
Lets be real, are dating apps working?
It is a tricky question. It works for some, and not for others.
But there is one claim that much of the media noise around Tinder, AfroIntroductions, Bumble and other dating apps have conveniently ignored: Dating apps are not broken. They are just tools. Some give you weirdoes, some good food on dates, and some if the algorithm grins politely, “soft” lives.
What Stacy and Jordan remind us isn’t that dating apps certainly can give you a successful love story — duh — but that not every dating app relationship has to end. They remind us that love can start anywhere, even from your phone while wearing a face mask and eating leftovers.
So, perhaps it is not time to delete Tinder (again?). Perhaps it is time to swipe with faith, good profile picture and a better Wi-Fi, and maybe read how I once survived the broke season on vibes and Inshallah, because love and life both come with wild algorithms.
Because love? It is out there. Even in dating app form.
And yes, it might just lead you to Greece. Or at least, to someone who replies after the first date.
;- Joy Tich
