The concept of human companionship is as old as civilization. The carnal needs of humans paired up with the need for comfort gave rise to marriages. Apart from that, as society developed, other, non-marital relationships also gained momentum.
It is imperative to note that humans at first knew nothing of fidelity, and it was only the later developed civilized human cultures which gave recognition to marriages solemnized before God.
While dating has become a norm in several cultures of the world and adultery is still frowned upon, something more westernized is looking at India. The emerging trend of sugar babies and sugar daddies/mommies has achieved popularity amongst the unemployed youth of India.
Studies show that several women and men are turning to sugar dating apps to fulfill their financial needs. Let us take a look at this novel concept.
The Concept
Sugar daddy and sugar mommy are terms used for the wealthier party in the relationship, who are often older than their companion.
Last year, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed, several youngsters were left with a lot of time and nothing to do. The economic conditions and the wave of a recession that followed also left several members of the youth unemployed.
About 5 million salaried people lost their jobs in July 2020 alone and the number for the entire year is far greater.
Amidst the chaos, a significant number of youngsters turned towards dating apps for filling their time and finding the comfort of companionship in the times when no human touch existed.
While some took to the traditional way, others, badly hit by the economic crisis, turned towards the Las Vegas-headquartered Seeking Arrangement.
It is a dating website that helps prospective sugar daddies and mommies meet sugar babies. With over 22 million users globally, the website is spilling its operations in India with about 75,000 members.
The organization is aiming at doubling the numbers this year as the revenue remains purely subscription-based.
Read Also: When Dating Is The Cocktail Ordered, But Marriage Is The Mocktail Served
In 2019-20, the percentage of new users rose by 159% and a 39% spike in membership was seen during the lockdown period.
Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad top the list in the number of maximum Indian users, and rightly so because they are the financial hubs of the country with men and women ready to pay and struggling youngsters searching for financial support.
An average sugar daddy’s worth ranges between USD 500,000 to USD 750,000, with most of them being widowed. Mind you, even married men and women are using this website, and can legally do so since adultery is no more a penal offense.
What Is The Game All About?
I tried using this unconventional dating app, to know how it works and what is the selling point of the entire relationship. To my surprise, contrary to what the company claims, the entire transaction is all about money in exchange for sexual favors.
Several sugar daddies make it clear on their profiles as to how much they are willing to pay, in cash or kind, for the type of relationship they are seeking while some also include fancy terms such as mentoring in their profile.
The company, though claims, that mentoring is an important part of the arrangement where the younger party gets the elder one as a mentor and a romantic partner, the app shows a different story.
Men are more willing to move out of the app to converse, preferring to get a hold of the social media accounts of the prospective babies.
Youngsters, on the other hand, are lured by the promises of travel to a faraway land, payment-per-meet, and extravagant gifts. These luxurious promises are enough to attract the underpaid or unemployed youth. However, the repercussions might be fatal.
Money is an important element in the arrangement, and having said that, the power play cannot be denied. The sugar dad or mom has greater power and authority in the relationship and the real world than the sugar baby, making the relationship imperfect and biased.
While some constructive relationships may emerge out of these arrangements, most sugar daddies or babies might only be interested in no-strings-attached relationships. The arrangements, though mutually beneficial, may make the sugar baby dependent or worse, prey to the sugar daddies and mommies.
The age or wealth gap between the parties shouldn’t be a ground to disregard any relationship. However, when we talk about apps like Seeking Arrangement, money and sex are the rules and romance is the exception. Rest, you do the math!
Image Sources: Google Images
Sources: The Print, Forbes, Seeking Arrangement
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