What's happening in Rio, you might ask? The world loves to watch an athlete or team go for the Gold! Athletes tend to have hot bodies and a posse of groupies. Add in the spice of Rio de Janeiro and it's a the perfect recipe for hormones and technology to take over.
Welcome to this 2016 Summer Olympics, were the athletes were treated to over 450,000 condoms to help them have safe sex, while competing in Brazil. Note: That's three times the amount as the London Olympics, where Grindr crashed during the games.
In a story in the Associated Press, it states that mobile dating app Tinder has had a 129 percent increase in matches since the Olympics started in the Olympic Village. Rio has become a feeding ground for swiping left and right on mobile apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Happn.
This should come as no surprise, as during idle moments, using a location-based dating app can connect you almost instantly with someone for anything from friendship to love or hooking up. Whatever is on your menu is readily available. Swipe, text, connect.
In the AP piece, I was quoted as saying:
"The Olympics is a very sexually charged time," said Julie Spira, an online and mobile dating expert." Young athletes and attendees have been using dating apps heavily in prior Olympics, but now the popularity of an app like Tinder continues to grow and grow."
According to the Houston Chronicle, Instagram is getting flooded with pictures from the Olympics of Tinder and other apps.
Happn, another location mobile app, reports that Brazil ranks #1 for singles competing for crushes, followed by the USA then Argentina.
If you're in Rio to watch the games, chances are you'll be posting a selfie in a bikini, or posing shirtless to attract someone hot. Add in the fact that a vacation romance or rendezvous is uber sexy, and can add a bit of heat to the moment.
I've been to the Olympics a few times in the days before mobile apps and have watched people connect and hook up from the Pin Trading Center and other locales in the Olympic Village. It's sexy and it's newsworthy.
So if you're in Brazil, start swiping. You might see a bouquet of athletes, starlets, or everyday sports fans, but if you'd like someone to keep you warm at night or just want to look at hot profiles, keep swiping.
Julie Spira is America's Top Online and Mobile Dating Expert. She was an early adopter of the Internet and has been coaching singles on finding love online for two decades. Julie's the CEO of Cyber-Dating Expert and is the author of the bestseller, "The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online." For dating advice follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and sign up for the free Weekly Flirt newsletter.