Free, visual, and to the point, finding your next date is as simple as a few swipes on your iPhone…
Tinder is millenials’ dating app of choice and it isn’t hard to see why. Free, visual, and to the point, finding your next date is as simple as a few swipes on your iPhone, with no time consuming questionnaires or compatibility estimators. Simply look at 5 photos and a short blurb about a person in your geographical area, and swipe left for no and right for yes. If they are into you, too, you’re a match, and the courtin’ can commence.
True, this platform can appear shallow, with nearly all judgment falling on looks rather than personality. While some people criticize it, saying it gives no advantage for people who aren’t 10s, many others love it for its superficiality.
Anna Martin, 38, joined Tinder a couple months ago after a breakup with her fiancé, who she had met years ago on Chemistry.com.
“It was an ego boost most of all,” Martin said. “When I get a match it’s like that person said, ‘She’s hot. I’d do her.’”
Martin likened Tinder to speed dating, where she is guaranteed to meet 25 men at once and then narrow down her choices from there.
Related: How to Get the Most Out of Your Tinder Pics
Bridgette Selby, 32, who met her current, live-in boyfriend on Tinder, said she felt the exact same ego boosts when she used the app last year.
“I would get on late at night when I was bored or having a day where I wasn’t feeling very pretty, and then I would get matches, feel better about myself, and go to bed,” she said.
While she agrees that looks are definitely a huge aspect of the site, Selby said she thinks it’s all relative to who’s looking and what they are looking for in a partner.