It's 2023, and traditional relationship norms are being redefined. People are becoming more open-minded, and the taboos of the past are slowly fading into irrelevance.
In this new era of dating and finding connections, hookup culture has found its way into the mainstream and holds a dedicated spot on just about everyone's smartphone — thanks to the inevitable rise of hookup apps.
What is hookup culture?
The phrase "hookup culture" refers to casual sex or uncommitted sexual encounters — you know, good old-fashioned consensual sex just for the sake of it.
Way back when, before dating apps became a thing, people would rely on chance encounters or social gatherings (mainly parties or bars) to meet someone new to have a casual fling with. But now, thanks to the rise of dating apps and sexting, we've found ourselves firmly in what I'd like to call our hookup culture era, and finding a partner is as easy as swiping right on a profile photo.
The dedicated hookup app is the horny person's vessel for hot instant gratification, and the coolest thing is that you can decide where to find your fling and how much or little you'd like to know about the person before getting down and dirty.
SEE ALSO: AdultFriendFinder is a borderline-porn hookup site that's stuck in the pastWhat makes a good hookup app?
A good hookup doesn't have to be a one-and-done situation. Sure, things can be kept as anonymous as taking a nameless person home from the bar, but there's also nothing wrong with ensuring that the person getting to see you naked doesn't have the world's worst sense of humor. Plus, getting along well with a hookup, even if you're not looking for anything serious or exclusive, can help if you are looking for a regular friends-with-benefits situation.
Though many of these apps make it obvious that people are looking for *that,* people on more generalized dating apps can avoid a lot of messiness if a head's up about intentions is given within the first few DMs. Many apps even include an option to mark what you're looking for, so your intentions can be clear from the get-go.
You'll probably also want to skip any apps that feature a 10-minute questionnaire about romance and future families or ones that require expensive subscriptions intended for people who want long-term relationships. However, you should choose an app with ample space to showcase what you're looking for — and maybe turn a few people on with your personality.
Photos are also a huge factor in good hookup apps. Some apps and dating sites hide people's pics unless you have a paid subscription, and we don't really love that — for physical attraction reasons and safety reasons. Apps that show the full view of someone's profile are the way to go.
Whether you want to pay for a hookup app is totally up to you, but we will say Tinder and Hinge have great free versions. You can likely find a hookup by the weekend without paying a cent.
Whether you're looking for casual sex or are simply looking to exchange nudes, here are our picks for the best hookup apps right now:
