Ahh, dating apps, the crux of the modern dating world. It is in these little apps that we ladies, "put ourselves out there," hoping to maybe find a half-decent man who'll take us out, except 9 times out of 10 we are disappointed when they instead ask us for nudes. Although the idea itself is great, a dating app can become frustrating and even disappointing to use, especially since it oftentimes seems as though the men we talk to aren't serious about actual "dating" happening. In pursuit of discovering which app we ladies should use to actually score a proper date, I spoke to 25 college gals who all have used dating apps, and have compiled raw data which ranks which apps are the best and worst for trying to actually have a love life in the 21st century.
TOP RANKED: BUMBLE
Among the 25 girls I surveyed, Bumble came out at the top with 14 votes as best dating app. In this app, men and women can create profiles showcasing themselves, and swipe left or right to choose which people they think they would like to message. Once matched, it is the woman's job to message first, and if she doesn't in the first 24 hours of matching, the connection is lost and she can no longer reach out to the man. A few comments I have regarding Bumble, from the college girls I spoke with:
"It's definitely the best app because you have control over who you reach out to. You don't have to worry about guys you don't find particularly interesting reaching out to you and having to reply in an obligatory fashion, plus most of the guys on here are actually seeking relationships."
"I like Bumble the most because I've found genuine guys on there who really do care about getting to know you, and don't expect anything lewd in return for a date. I would definitely recommend this to the girls who are just getting into the dating app game."
One alternative viewpoint given:
"I have never used Bumble because I don't like the pressure of having to message people first. It's not my responsibility to make the first move!"
RUNNER UP: TINDER
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Tinder was ranked at second best among the dating apps, with 9 votes. This dating app works similarly to Bumble in the way of building a profile, and swiping left and right to match with people who you would like to speak with. Once matched, however, any person can reach out first, unlike Bumble where the girl has to be the first to reach out. Another difference from Bumble is that there is no set amount of time to message someone -- once a match has been established, anyone can reach out to the other person whenever they would like. Tinder has somewhat of a reputation as solely being a hookup app, not an actual dating app, but some comments from the gals interviewed say otherwise:
"Honestly, Tinder isn't as bad as people make it out to be sometimes. I've gone on some pretty fun and awesome dates with guys from Tinder, but I just feel like it took a lot more swiping and time talking to find some cool guys. About 80% of the guys on there really are only looking for hookups, but it doesn't mean that ALL of them are."
"I got tired of Tinder really fast once I realized that most of the guys reaching out to me were only interested in sex. Yes, it's fun to match with cute boys, and it definitely is an endorphin release when they message you and compliment you, but beyond that, I didn't feel like I was really finding any true types of connections through Tinder."
"Tinder is great to use if you aren't looking for anything serious. There is definitely plenty of guys on there, but I really only use it during the late night moments of weakness, which I usually regret in the morning."
3RD PLACE: HOT OR NOT
Hot or Not got the least likes, coming in at 2 votes. The concept behind Hot or Not is somewhat similar to Bumble/Tinder in the sense that you swipe left and right on people's accounts, but the difference is that it gives you a rating among how many times people have swiped right on you, and you build a "score" based on the likes you are getting. Again, if you match with someone, you or that person can reach out and start a conversation. Truthfully, many girls didn't know what this app was at all, and I only obtained one comment which seemed pretty spot on:
"Hot or Not is for preteens and that new weird generation of kids who skip awkward puberty but don't grow anything."
So there you have it! 2 apps that didn't receive any likes were Hinge and OkCupid, both of which are rather unpopular due to the attraction to Bumble and Tinder. Hopefully, this gives some insight into the online dating world, and helps you choose an app that best fits your needs!
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