EASY COME, EASY GO

To mark 'Red Tuesday' - supposedly the day on which you're most likely to get dumped - Olivia Petter looks at how dating apps can encourage us to take a callous approach to romance

- Olivia Petter

If there was ever a kind way to dump someone, it probably isn’t choosing to do it mere moments away from Valentine’s Day. And yet, today is Red Tuesday, the single most popular day of the year to get dumped. At least, that’s according to new research conducted by Illicit Encounters, the UK’s largest extramarital dating website.

A survey of 1,500 members of the website revealed that more than one-third (34 per cent) had ended a relationship in the lead-up to Valentine's Day. Of those, nearly half (49 per cent) said they had purposely chosen to conduct the breakup on Red Tuesday, aka the Tuesday before Valentine's Day.

As for why, money was one of the biggest motivators, with 41 per cent saying they didn't want to invest in Valentine's Day trips and presents for someone they were no longer interested in being with. Meanwhile, 29 per cent confessed to not wanting to fake affection on a day that is supposed to be about celebrating romantic love. Additionally, 24 per cent said they simply wanted a clean slate for spring - the beginning of what many dub the “uncuffing” season.