I’m sure you’ve heard of Match.com, “the number one destination for online dating, with more dates, relationships, marriages” and apparently attempted killers than any other dating or personal sites. But have you ever wondered what a younger, obviously lazier and more superficial version of that might be like— cue Tinder.
An app that requires no formal commitment from you except for a fatiguing swipe of your pretty, little manicured finger, Tinder is the be-all and end-all of the online dating realm. To play, all you have to do is allow the app to access your Facebook account, from which it takes your first name, your age and your first four default pictures, and compiles them into a profile. Once you agree to that, you’re presented with a stack of pictures of your nearby potential suitors. You either swipe to the right to “like” the 22-year-old Yale hockey player, per se, or you swipe to the left to deny the gym-rat meathead in the mirror selfie.
Did I mention this is all done anonymously? So even if you are a little apprehensive about “liking” that senior boy you stare at in class for roughly five seconds too long, unless he “likes” you too, he’d never know! BUT, let’s just say he has his eye on you as well, and throws the ole “like” your way. Now that you both are “matched” Tinder let’s you chat within the app.
This is where the magic really happens, where the pick up lines are put down, and where the phone numbers are potentially exchanged. Of the many guys you’ll be matched up with on Tinder, there are generally about four different methods they’ll use to start conversation. There’s the obscenely original guy who copy and pastes Barstool’s suggested opening line— “How many push ups can you do?” The guy who thinks he’s funny and throws out a pick-up line, most commonly— “So do you come here often?” or “What’s cookin’ good lookin’?” The quirky, nice guy who references 90s past— “TLC or ‘N Sync?” and the classic, chyll guy who opts for a “Sup (insert name here)?” or simply a “What’s up” or “Hi.”
From then on, the ball’s in your court if you choose to engage in conversation. Whether you respond with “Just checking out google maps to find a nice place to dump these bodies I have in the back of my car” to some guy’s innocent “What’s up?” or if you’re actually looking for love, you’re bound to have a good time…and maybe even score some digits on Tinder. Check it out, at least give it a shot. As Rihanna proved, you can find love in a hopeless place.