Opinion by Jordan Broam
Tinder. We all know the name, but we rarely take it seriously.
Tinder, not much unlike any other dating website, airs a sense of taboo. Online dating, even in our boastfully “accepting and void of judgment” generation, is side-eyed or only spoken about on the hush hush.
Online dating is often looked down upon because it goes against traditional face to face encounters, a supposedly more organic way of meeting. Despite this stigma, Tinder’s online webpage boasts over 50 million users and an average of 26 million matches per day.
Tinder has been not so secretly dubbed a hookup app, many people looking passed all of the opportunities for potential relationships that are genuinely romantic, strictly platonic, or anything in-between.
First of all, I do not understand why we have condemned Tnder as a hookup app and second of all, why we continue to act like online is not a valid way of meeting people.
I have had nothing short of a very pleasant Tinder experience. I signed up with no preconceived idea of what I was searching for, but quickly crafted my own swiping technique to weed out the profiles. Many of my friends laughed off the fact that I was spending my time looking for genuine conversation in a community they labeled “hookup only.”
I realize that some people are using the app simply to pass the time, some to practice pickup lines, and some with entirely different tastes in romance or conversational exchange. The wonderful fact of Tinder is that there are over 50 million users and odds are you will find someone, if not more than one, with your similar interests or agenda.
A few of my friends have complained about creepy, wildly inappropriate, or silent matches, which have led them to dis online dating all together. The truth is that the profiles you match with are based on how you conduct yourself online
Recklessly swiping right and matching with everyone is the equivalent to handing your phone number to just anyone you pass by on the street. Matching on a website such as this is not much different than the first impression you might get from someone you would meet in person. Of course they have the ability of manipulating your perspective, but conversation can often help you sift through the potential matches.
Personally, I thoroughly enjoy conversation with people, gaining new perspectives and sharing mutual interests. I chose to only match with people who wrote a bio and not just any few words, but a thought-out bio that could provoke further conversation.
In a Spring 2015 study, “Most Swiped-Right Schools,” Tinder found that “profiles with the most right swipes all contained bios.” This fact alone shows that people are not matching simply based on superficial reasons.
I think you would be surprised if you gave equal amounts of attention to each profile and not swiftly swiping after you see the first picture. Some bios will alter how you see the person in the picture. Furthermore, so will looking at the rest of their photos.
My main point is for our generation to realize the potential of apps like Tinder because the 21st century has opened so many doors for communication, allowing us to reach an unprecedented amount of people for whatever reason we deem fit. Why waste an opportunity to explore?
