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Tinder: College’s Match.com

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BC chapter.

So it seems as though Match.com and Hot-or-Not have had an illegitimate child—and they have named it Tinder.

After being introduced to Tinder, I was immediately addicted.  For those of you who don’t know, Tinder finds people around your area (you set a range of miles) and shows you their picture.  Honestly, I find that extremely creepy and a violation of my privacy, but I participate anyway.  By swiping to the left or right, you can effectively put your potential match in the trash or add them to your “people of interest” list, as I like to call it.  Yes, you heard me right.  You decide based completely on looks (seen through pictures uploaded from Facebook) whether or not you want to let the person know that they have a match—and that it’s you.  

If you decide they are “hot,” they will receive a notification that you are a match, and you will be able to converse with them via a text messaging-like system that is completely secure.  No phone numbers, no last name. You can tell them what you want—but you could remain a mystery if you so choose.  

Sometimes I will enter into a speed round, and go at triple the speed swiping people from left to right.  Don’t get me wrong, I feel like a horrible person afterward.  But from what I’ve heard, it’s much like the power trip of having a Mod—being able to say yes or no to whomever you please.

A word to the wise: it can get awkward when your friend pops up on Tinder and you accidentally put them on your person of interest list.

Tinder seems to be particularly attractive to college students.  However, I have heard plenty of stories about people far beyond college actually finding people that they click with.  Now, that doesn’t mean that Tinder is some genius matchmaker from heaven.  The funniest part is when a forty year old slips through the cracks and ends up in my pile of potential matches.  Seriously?

Really, Tinder is just a good laugh, and a surprising confidence builder.  Tinder never lets you know when you are rejected—you only get notified if someone has interest, and it’s flattering in the worst kind of way.  Tinder is certainly a power trip—you are playing cupid for yourself, shooting arrows at people left and right.  It’s nearly guiltless, you are free to be as judgmental as you want, and no one would ever know.

Tinder is not nearly as enduring as the triple axis of evil—Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  In my opinion, this fad will soon end, if it hasn’t already.  But in the meantime, enjoy your hot-or-not list, your power trip, or your confidence boost.  As with anything, you never know where it could lead you.

 

Photo Source:

http://www.iosnoops.com/appinf…

 

I am a Political Science major and Women's and Gender Studies minor at Boston College. I am an RA on campus and am involved in the Student Admissions Program. Since I am from Florida, I can legitimately say that I love long walks on the beach. I also love getting lost in a world fabricated by a novel, there is honestly nothing better. 
Caitlin is currently a student at Boston College studying English and Pre-Law.  At BC, she is a member of the Boston College Irish Dance Club, on the Honors Program Student Executive Board's Community Service Committee, and interns and writes for the fashion and culture blog Rusted Revolution.  She has been wriring for Her Campus BC since Jaunary 2011 and is serving as BC's Campus Correspondent for the 2012-2013 school year.  Outside of school, she is a competitive Irish dancer, and has been dancing for 18 years. During her high school career, she completed an engineering project at Case Western Reserve University that made her one of 40 Intel Science Talent Search Finalists in 2009.   In addition to all of this, Caitlin loves reading, yoga, running, shopping, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.