Match.com and eHarmony may promise marriage to the lovelorn, but today’s newest app, Tinder, settles for “hooking” them up. Tinder, with its slogan: “Tinder–It starts here... It’s like real life but better,” is an app for screening, then meeting, people in your area.
Young people have found a shortcut. No more hanging out to find that special one. Instead, flip hassle-free through a pool of local online candidates to find the one who suits you. It is a numbers game, a contest consisting of an electronic deck loaded with profiles of people within a preset distance. A candidate’s photos, short profile and matching interests or Facebook friends appear on the screen. Swipe right for hot, left for not. If any of your right swipes also deem you worthy, you are matched.
After both parties settle on one another, they can now tinderize their target. (Tinderize: the process of getting mind-raped with intelligent words from an attractive individual over the tinder app.) But don’t fret. If one party regrets the match, he or she can be easily blocked. It’s all very easy. If one is not interested, a swipe to the left leaves a large, red “NOPE” stamped across the picture. Lke-wise, a green “LIKED” results from a swipe to the right.
People can now be heard describing others as a “swipe right” or a “swipe left”. Sound innocent enough? Maybe. But this app is marketed to college students, folks who believe they can’t be labeled alcoholics until they graduate. Tinder has become the new drinking game on campus, as well as the new go-to for a nightly hook up.
Many people find themselves devising new pre-games to work alongside the new app. For instance, there is the Five Swipe, a game in which one has to either swipe right twice in the next five profiles or take a drink. Some players choose to take a shot for every match they make (a game better for girls since they seem to find matches much easier), while others drink continuously for a duration of seconds equal to the number of similar friends and interests the potential couple may have.
Regardless of the game, the underlying question is the same: will I find my Tinderella tonight? Many boast the next morning about their digital conquests.
One student asked about his Tinder experience was quoted saying, “I’ve hooked up with two matches. That is all I have to say.” While he may have found success, there are others who still dream of their first magical night with their “Tinder baby."
As the app’s popularity increases, so do the expectations of where a match will lead. Tinder is a fad that may not fade quickly. It is a perfect combination of anonymity with real life possibilities. As you go to class, look around. Someone may be swiping right on you.
