Tinder, an app that is both hated and loved by our generation. Some tout it as a great way to meet new people, a fantastic way to get laid, and the embodiment of the hook-up culture online. Others decry it as an attack on normal dating life, an outgrowth of our "short attention" spans, and as a shallow judgment system. I have downloaded, deleted, re-downloaded, and re-deleted the app, but there is a new trend involving Tinder that recently caught my attention.
Known online as the "Tinder Games," the premise is to flirt with people on Tinder and try to get them to send you free food. It seems to be limited in scope for now, as there are just the same three screenshots from a girl in Chicago floating around the web, but don't be surprised if your next match asks you for a free pizza. Obviously I can't tell other people how to live their lives, but personally, I find the individuals on both ends of this story to be just plain dumb. This is my personal pledge to not participate in Tinder Games from either side.
Okay, so we will start with the flirts. You're probably thinking "Free pizza huh? I'm gonna jump on Tinder right now." Please don't. Besides the fact that common decency goes against tricking desperate people, there is also the aspect of personal safety. Since the early days of the Internet, predators and criminals have used the open medium to prey on the innocent. Giving out your address to someone you are messaging over Tinder is extremely dangerous. Instead of a free pizza showing up at your door, it could be a criminal. This goes for guys and girls: there are some crazy people in the world.
And desperate people, do not let flirts use you for the free food! Believing that a free pizza will improve your chances is absolutely absurd. Some will defend it by comparing it to paying for a meal while on a date, but such a comparison is lacking. When a girl or (guy) participates in the Tinder Games, they are doing so with the sole intention of receiving free food. They do not care about you, they just want the food! At least when going out on a date, the guy (or girl), in most cases, isn't just there for the meal. Tinder is also a very detached form of communication, which makes it very easy for the flirt to forget that they are messaging a real person. The dehumanization of the free food provider makes it easier for the flirt to forget about you once they get what they want. This dehumanization is also absent in a date atmosphere. It is much harder to take advantage of the person sitting right in front of you.
So please, desperate people, do not send food because of Tinder. And flirts, do not take advantage of others because you are hungry. Below are some of the screenshots of the "Tinder Games". Photos courtesy of Elite daily.
