Online dating: it’s something that we’ve all thought about at one point or another. Whether it’s an app such as Tinder or a website like Match, there’s no denying that we are living in a time of a dating revolution. According to a large-scale study done by Stanford University in 2010, nearly 10 million adult American couples have met through online dating. We’re busier than ever with more technology than we know what to do with. As I type this on my laptop with my iPad next to me, my phone ringing across the room and the television humming from downstairs, it only makes sense that something so convenient and technologically savvy is on the rise.
While us college students may not be using Match or eHarmony quite yet, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of us have experienced some form of online dating. I’m not trying to jump to conclusions here, but let’s cut to the chase, shall we? You’ve tried Tinder. We’ve all tried Tinder, whether you’re doing it because you’re bored or you’re are actually using it for what it was designed for and meeting new potential partners, regardless how temporary. All reasons aside, we started it, and now we’re too far-gone because online dating is way too convenient, low-pressure and fun in a weird sort of way. Dating apps have become the new thing, but they have a terrible reputation so I took the liberty of investigating a new dating app that’s on the rise. You’re welcome.
Courtesy: Recode
How many times have you been on Tinder, matched with someone, and you never end up messaging them? Or they never message you? Or even worse, they message you 42 weeks later asking to hang out at 1:17 a.m. after a Saturday rendezvous? I say no thank you, and so does the up and coming app, Hinge. Hinge is a dating app that connects through your Facebook, like Tinder, but you can only potentially connect with your Facebook friends or friend’s friends. This is based on the idea that you meet most of your potential partners through friends, so they take this old school mentality and give it a 21st century twist by putting it on an app.
I know what you’re thinking; “So that’s all well and good, but where’s the fun part?” Well here it is: There’s a 24-hour time limit to message your match, and if you don’t message them within those first 24 hours, they’re gone forever. Talk about some added pressure, right? Now you have to decide if you really want to message this person within a short time window as if it were a game, taking Tinder’s “Keep Playing” button to a whole new level. I would say that this app would be for the more serious online dater, who is looking to actually meet some new people. This is a no nonsense kind of app, and I look forward to doing some field research on the matter. Strictly educational, of course.