One of the most reviled aspects of the sextech world is the ‘dick pic’ – the incomprehensible need for individuals to send unsolicited pictures of their junk to (often random) objects of lust.
Luckily, a new dating app, called Bare, aimed at cultivating relationships as well as hook-ups is on a mission to reclaim the dick pic, with the message “Your Body, Your Rules”. Bare’s available for Android and Apple devices, and is free to use, with an optional premium tier priced at £14.99 per month.
Bare Dating works on the premise of consent – to begin with, you can’t see what your potential match looks like, and then, only when they’re ready, they’ll be able to share their face…. a flash of ankle… or maybe something more obscenely biological.
The point is that you’re in control. You can decide if you are actually looking for “the one” or you just fancy a bit of virtual voyeurism. Or somewhere in-between.
“Most dating apps are focused on initial attraction and looks first, and making a decision based on this,” explains Gillian Myhill, co-founder of BARE. “Conversation and personality usually take second place. BARE wants to turn this around, with people having to converse first before they see their partneR’s face.”
Her fellow co-founder Alex Sergent adds the app also helps people learn more about themselves, and what they want.
“Bare Dating is more than just about dating, it’s about building established relationships, not just with another person, but with yourself. We want our users to feel confident, and sexy, on their own terms, and body confidence and positivity is at the heart of everything we are trying to achieve,” Sergent says. “Everyone has body hang ups, and things we hate about ourselves, and Bare Dating is creating a space where we can flaunt ourselves and highlight our best parts, whilst learning to love our other parts. Everybody is beautiful.”
One of the unique features of Bare is that users are not approved for the site at sign-up, but rather have a 24-hour cooling off period so that any identity checks can take place, hopefully putting off any trolls and catfish.
The idea is about dating with confidence – it’s not saying that dick pics have no place, but puts the control back with the user so that if the time comes, you can reveal yourself with the consent of both parties and maybe indulge in some ‘safe sexting‘.
Maybe start with the face, though, yeah?
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