You’ve heard it before: Opposites attract. (All you ’80s babies will probably even remember that Paula Abdul even made a song about the mantra.)
But get ready to throw that idea out the window. A dating app, appropriately named Hater, matches people based on their shared disdain for things—whether that’s something understandable like jellyfish or something quirky like biting string cheese rather than peeling it.
Sound a bit cynical? The development of Hater was inspired by research from the University of Oklahoma that suggests people bond well over shared negative attitudes. (Ironically, the thing that Oklahomans say they hate the most is hearing the latest gossip). Go figure.
Because the dating app requires people to select what they hate—whether that’s a habit, concept, famous person, etc., the app has been able to collect some interesting state-by-state data from registered users.
They’re dishing their methodology, which does make us wonder exactly how many people are behind the random disdain for NSYNC in Colorado. But a Hater rep did tell the HuffPost that there’s 3,000 topics to swipe on and they’ve been able to keep tabs on a “few hundred thousand users” in the United States.
Even if you’re no longer in the dating pool, you’ll probably find your state’s biggest hate interesting. Here’s a break down of what drives people nuts in each and every state, according to the Hater app.
NOTE: Mississippians got a bit graphic with their response. Let’s just say they reference a type of sexual activity that’s commonly associated with ancient Greece, so this map is definitely NSFW (aka “not suitable for work”) or if you’re reading in sensitive company.
Hi, I'm Brittany Anas (pronounced like the spice, anise ... see, that wasn't too embarrassing to say, now was it?) My professional writing career started when I was in elementary school and my grandma paid me $1 for each story I wrote for her. I'm a former newspaper reporter, with more than a decade of experience Hula-hooping at planning meetings and covering just about every beat from higher-education to crime to science for the Boulder Daily Camera and The Denver Post. Now, I'm a freelance writer, specializing in travel, health, food and adventure.
I've contributed to publications including Men's Journal, Forbes, Women's Health, American Way, TripSavvy, Eat This, Not That!, Apartment Therapy, Denver Life Magazine, 5280, Livability, The Denver Post, Simplemost, USA Today Travel Tips, Make it Better, AAA publications, Reader's Digest, Discover Life and more. Visit Scripps News to see more of Brittany's work.
