Online dating sites have changed the way we meet people. Once upon a time, or so my parents have told me, the dating game was far more challenging than what it is today. Those were the good old days of approaching a stranger in a bar, getting to know them and making them laugh to achieve the ultimate goal: a match. Is it possible now that meeting that special someone is as simple as a ‘swipe right’?
Tinder, if you haven’t already heard, is the dating app of 2014. Connecting individual’s Facebook profiles to its system, the app makes finding a partner seem easy. Users face the rather amusing task of rifling through a potential date’s pictures in order to determine whether or not that person is worthy of progressing to the next stage. If you like the look of someone, you swipe right. If you don’t, it’s a swipe to the left. When both parties find each other attractive, you’ve guessed it, it’s a match. Successfully snagging a match opens up a conversation platform for hopefuls to ‘get to know’ each other better. You’re in. As easy as that – right?
For the newly single, the dating playing field is a daunting prospect, so on the surface Tinder seems like the perfect gateway for those not-so confident in finding a potential partner. The app, however, has created tremendous controversy. People aren’t taking Tinder seriously, viewing it as a bit of a joke and passing time with friends by rating people’s appearance and laughing at the ‘idiots’ they might stumble upon. This makes it hard for serious Tinder users to decide whether or not the apparently perfect other they’ve matched with really does want a date, or if they’re just fooling around with their mates. How embarrassing.
Tinder also has its own GPS tracking system. Of course it does. This feature makes it easy for users to find people in their area but because it’s so easy to snag someone local, the Tinder experience has developed a reputation that might not have been its initial intention. People are using the app for casual hook ups over finding a long-term partner, which casts even more doubt over its trustworthiness and ultimately lowers the respect people might once have given it. That being said however, some claim to have found love thanks to the simplified dating phenomenon. Google it, and up pops a seemingly endless stream of Tinder lovestories, including couples who have even progressed as far as walking down the aisle together.
Sadly though, as debated as the issue might be, it appears hard to justify that a swipe can really turn into something exceptional. Except for those lucky few, anyway.
Amy-Beth Harrap
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