Anna Lowenthal, Editor-in-Chief
Q: Dear Anna, I haven’t been having much luck with love on campus and I’ve been thinking about getting a Tindr for a while. Should I or should I not?
A: Dating culture has changed since the 21st century began, and many modern young lovers are taking to dating applications and online dating sites either to find someone to love for the night, or for life.
For those of you who might not know, “Tindr” is a dating application on your phone where you can find other users in your area and “swipe” their picture if you’d like to start a conversation with them. Both parties have to swipe each other in order for the two to talk. Grindr, a dating application similar to Tindr, is also available for the homosexual and bisexual communities.
Tindr isn’t really like a traditional dating site such as eHarmony or Match.com. You’re not paired up with people based on common interests and compatibility – you’re paired up with them based on location and convenience. For this reason, Tindr has become more of a hookup app than a dating app.
Because the information you’ll find on this dating application is so objective (i.e. swiping based off of somebody’s profile picture), you can’t really expect someone to think you’re “the one” when there are literally hundreds of other photographs in the sea of swipes.
If you’re looking for a long-term, loving relationship to sprout from someone on Tindr, you might (but not always) be looking in the wrong place. Most of the people you’ll find on there are just looking for a quick hookup, and they’ll sweet-talk you endlessly if that’s what they think they can get.
More times than not, you’ll find that those you’ve swiped on your Tindr account aren’t interested in your personality or your middle name what you want to do with your life, but would rather shack up for the night and move onto the next swipe.
The dating scene isn’t all about romance, as we all know, and sometimes we just need someone to snuggle for a little while. Tindr is great for that. Since you’re already paired with singles in your area, it’ll be easy to find someone nearby who is not only attractive, but finds you attractive as well.
There’s absolutely no shame in calling up a local hotty for a night of fun. And who knows? That night of fun might lead to a lifetime of happiness with your Tindr match – just don’t expect that to happen with every person who swipes you back.
So, if you’re looking for a quick answer to your lonely pains as Valentine’s Day rolls around, you might want to consider downloading Tindr and seeing who’s out there for the taking. Otherwise, take your time looking for love. Tindr is perfect if you want someone right here and right now, but might not be the best for finding “the one” for you.
Take your time and think about what you’re looking for – you’ll know whether or not Tindr can provide it for you.