Invisible boyfriend/girlfriend app not all it’s cracked up to be

For a week I had two boyfriends. And no, I’m not a cheater. I just had a fake boyfriend on the side. That’s not weird, right?

The Invisible Boyfriend company is a new relationship service, but with a twist — the company promotes the fact that now there’s a way to get nagging friends and family off your back by having actual proof you are in a relationship.

To get started, you create a profile and choose what your fake boyfriend (or girlfriend) will be like, including their name, age and interests. You then even choose what he or she looks like and decide how you two met. In my case I met my fake boyfriend, Jesse Albert Day, at Starbucks.

The hoax is complete with 100 text messages, 10 voicemails and one personal letter — all at the low price of just $24.99 per month. Purchasing additional text messages is only $9.99. What a deal!

After completing the profile, I received my first text message from Jesse. My actual boyfriend understood it was an experiment. His only comment throughout the whole ordeal was, “That’s weird.” And he was correct.

Watch this week's episode of Verbatim, where I documented my experience on the Invisible Boyfriend app in a video blog.

All of the conversations shared between Jesse and me were superficial. He never asked me anything too personal — he just asked generic questions like how I was doing or what my plans were for the weekend. He was also lovey-dovey, which made me uncomfortable, because I had no idea who was on the other end, and I already have a boyfriend to tell me sweet nothings.

I also had to initiate every conversation. He never texted me first, which I’m guessing was because I was the one who sought out the service. But for a fake boyfriend, he didn’t seem to care to talk to me.

Needless to say, I was relieved when the text messages ran out, which only took a few days. For those who are legitimately interested in having an invisible boyfriend or girlfriend, you will be spending lots of money — lots. Think how often you text your friends. One hundred text messages isn’t much, so plan on breaking the bank if you wish to maintain the “relationship” for a while.

My advice — don’t waste money on something so unnecessary. If your family bugs you about being single, talk to them. Tell them how you feel when they constantly nag you. Being single is nothing to be ashamed of — it’s just the stage you’re at in life.

As far as friends go, maybe you need to reconsider who you hang out with. Your friends shouldn’t make you feel like you’re inadequate because you aren’t in a relationship.

And finally, if you’re considering this service because you’re lonely, think again. We live in a society in which people hide behind Internet platforms to meet others because somewhere along the way, we felt like interacting with people in real life was too much to handle.

We, as students at the University of South Dakota, need to fight this norm. At the end of the day, do you feel more fulfilled by what happened on Facebook or the time you spent with friends?

If you’re lonely, put yourself out there. College is what you make of it. Meet people on your dorm floor, invite classmates to basketball games and join clubs on campus. Sometimes you need to be uncomfortable before finding something truly worthwhile.

And I promise, being uncomfortable by putting yourself out there will bring a whole lot of happiness down the road in life.