Tinder, Bumble and Grindr seem to dominate the dating scene these days. Brand new apps keep popping up and growing in popularity. Some utilize these apps for entertainment while others find actual love. Regardless of how it’s being used, Tinder doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. When you think of online dating, the first thing that comes to mind for most millennials is “Tinder.”
“Tinder is definitely still relevant. I feel like new people sign up everyday. My one friend from France has been messing with this girl who he met on Tinder. I think more foreign kids at my school use it, but it’s still very popular college-wide,” said Washington and Jefferson sophomore Brendan Reddy.
Tinder most certainly still serves the purpose it was started for–making quick connections. Mostly, when you ask someone how he or she met their latest hookup, they’ll tell you from Tinder. “It’s pretty nice to just meet up with a person who has the same intentions that you have and then you don’t have to worry about hurting feelings,” said Penn State junior Corey Zeik.
Tinder also provides an outlet for students to explore different things. Because Tinder allows users to make connections with the ease of a left or right swipe, users are able to step out of their comfort zone and talk to or hook up with people they wouldn’t normally hook up with. “I used Tinder at first to just see who was on. At some point, I switched it to men and women,” said American University sophomore Jared Franz. “ I ended up talking to a guy, and we eventually started hooking up for about 3 months. Nothing too far, but it started to border on a relationship. I grew up very straight-laced Catholic, and never considered guys before. It didn’t end well, he stole some of my stuff. But I guess Tinder enabled me to explore a bit.”
Even though so many people are embarrassed to admit it, people are finding love and starting relationships starting with a Tinder match. “My boyfriend and I have been together for a year and a half. It seemed weird at first but when we met it didn’t really seem like we found each other on the Internet,” said Indiana University of Pennsylvania senior Allyson Null.
Nobody likes to tell grandma, “We met on Tinder,” but isn’t that the whole point of the app? Whether they end up being successful or not, people fine long term relationships on Tinder. “I think it possible to find a long-term relationship on Tinder, because I have, but I didn’t expect to because of the stigma surrounding it. I think I got a little lucky, though,” said Emily Watson, Slippery Rock sophomore. “Sometimes you can meet people that offer meaningful relationships on Tinder even though the perceptions and pictures people put up are the first thing that attracts attention or a ‘right swipe.’”
When you scroll down your Twitter newsfeed, it’s common to see screenshots of hilarious Tinder conversations. People create laughable profiles and bios and use Tinder to troll unsuspecting users. Using Tinder to troll is becoming more and more popular; it’s become a whole new kind of humor on social media. People specifically sign up for Tinder the sole purpose of messing with others. Because trolling has become more popular on Tinder it’s opened up the site to many more users. Now those people who are too embarrassed to download Tinder or admit to having it can use the classic, “I use it as a joke,” excuse and people looking to troll will sign up as well. The transition may take away from the usefulness of the site but it’s definitely entertaining. And in reality, I’m sure the founders are happy their site is being utilized, even if it is for the wrong reasons.
“I have definitely messed with people on Tinder before, and it scares you how much people are willing to go for a hookup,” said Franz.
Despite more dating apps popping up and rising in popularity, Tinder still reigns as number one. You make quick connections, even start relationships, or use Tinder specifically to mess with other people—there’s something for everyone. As long as we continue to indulge in the hookup culture or the trolling culture, Tinder will stay prominent.
