For someone who has just experienced the heartache of a relationship breakdown, this maelstrom of matches and swipes presents a thousand new ways to experience rejection.

Nevertheless, the simple fact is, dating apps work. Experts predict that by 2031, 50% of couples will be meeting this way.

Dating expert Sami Wunder has identified a major mistake many of her clients fall into: the texting trap. When Wunder's clients first sign up and matches and messages flood in, it can be difficult for them to know how to handle all of the attention. They could soon find themselves talking for hours with the first person to show them any interest. Someone who, in real life, they may not be particularly well-matched with.

For women in particular, texting back and forth may feel instinctive. It may feel good, initially. Nevertheless, Wunder warns that it actually makes a real-world connection less likely. With every text, the relationship becomes more virtual. The more available a woman seems, the less likely a man is to take the initiative and suggest meeting in real life.

Some men really do just want a beautiful pen pal. Chatting by text means they can have all the attention they want for virtually no effort, lazing around on the sofa. Too much texting could smother the spark. It is important to hold back and build their intrigue, making them want to know more.

Wunder recommends a simple two-step strategy to avoid falling into the texting trap:

1.     Setting a maximum of four messages, then saying: "I'd rather hear your voice."

2.     Setting up the call.

She explains that a five-minute phone call helps daters filter out those who, for whatever reason, are just not a very good match. By spending hours texting back and forth, daters create a false sense of emotional intimacy. They do not really know the person on the other end of the phone, only the image they have built up in their head based on what that person has told them. Setting up a call is a foolproof way for Wunder's clients to avoid wasting time chatting like teenagers with people with no intention of meeting in real life.

Sami Wunder goes on to say that it is imperative that daters move from the phone to the date swiftly. As she explains, this is where the magic really happens. People do not form genuine connections online. They do it by meeting face-to-face, in the real world.