Nowadays, Dating apps are becoming an attention for people of all ages around the world. At the part time job I have, several coworkers are users of dating apps and some have a relationship from it. With this fact in mind, I came across this advertisement for Tinder recently on TV https://youtu.be/n9X6AhU6R6o?si=UpaCSFC3QQsDsn_6.
This Japanese advertisement includes context that where you are literally right now is not the only place to find your partner, and using Tinder can broaden your perspective on where you meet with people. Furthermore, the advert ends with this message “ノリで生きちゃう？”, which translates to something like “living with the vibes” or “going with the flow” in English.
With Tinder being an app to engage people in cultivating a romantic relationship (Tinder is probably not intended to only be used for romantic purposes, but in this article, I will focus on that), I felt the concept of love is portrayed as something that isn’t so serious, and that it is something just to “try it out”.
People have different perspectives on love and romance, so I have no judgment for people using dating apps for that purpose, and to use it or not is totally up to the person, therefore there is no right or wrong to that. However, the way Tinder is being advertised is what confused me the most.
Dating apps like Tinder can make the first step of finding a romantic partner easier, but the advertisements seem to suggest that it is also easy to create love. However, is finding love and creating love the same? Isn’t the Tinder ad mixing two different things?
To truly love somebody, isn’t there more that’s needed than to “go with the vibes”?
Some relationships can happen spontaneously, and apps like Tinder promote the idea that love is spontaneous and effortless, but the development of a relationship still requires qualities such as time, trust, and vulnerability.
To reiterate, using dating apps isn’t morally wrong in any way. But I believe the problem lies in how dating apps like Tinder frame love and romance. Spontaneity and effortlessness can be a part of it, but the advertisement I used for this article seems to focus only on those elements, overlooking the complexity of human connection. With Tinder having more than 96,000 subscribers, the company that promotes their program, and also the users, should be critical of what is framed as love in society.