Social media has made us expert daters, and with so many dating apps, it can be hard to choose which one to use. There are always the classics like Match.com and EHarmony, but what if you’re not looking for the love of your life? Maybe you just broke up with your ex, and you need a quick-fix rebound to fool around with. Tinder virtually asks you one essential question: Hot or not?
So, essentially you get to decide whether or not you would shag someone based on a couple pictures and perhaps a mutual friend or two… Sounds great, right? For a select few, Tinder relationships have blossomed, but don’t be fooled – these couples are the exception, not the rule. Then there’s the issue of running into someone you know on Tinder. Why not swipe right, just for giggles? Then lines can get blurry when you see a cutie you’ve been eyeing for a while now, and it turns out you’re a match. What does this mean? Are you going to hook up this weekend? Did he just accidentally swipe right? Now you’re stuck over analyzing the situation and praying you don’t see him around campus any time soon because that would be SO AWKWARD.
Aside from the guys you recognize, there are also some serious creeps on Tinder, like the guy whose picture is not only of his face, but it’s of his duck face wearing sunglasses with his flip, camera phone reflecting back in the mirror… * cringing *. Contrary to popular belief, that’s not going to get me onto your mattress any quicker. Then there are the people whose pictures make you lose hope in humanity altogether AKA the guy with his obvious wife and child on his arm. Swipe. Left. Now, what white lie will you tell when your friends as why you aren’t going out with them on Saturday night… because you definitely aren’t going to want to tell them you’re meeting up with a Tinder match, that’s just embarrassing.
Whether you’re doing it purely for entertainment purposes, you are seriously trying to find your soul mate, or you enjoy the self-confidence booster you get every time it’s confirmed that someone swiped right and “liked” your picture, Tinder is, contrary to popular belief – not dead (!), and a hilarity that should be tested out by collegians everywhere. When all other forms of social media have been exhausted, but you still have two hours left in your “Medieval Europe” class, what have you got to lose by Tindering? It just might turn out that “Dave,” age 24, from five miles away, who also likes long naps and Mad Men could be the one, making you the exception. Good luck, and swipe away!