Being from a small town in Michigan and born extremely awkward, I don't believe I could have survived my freshman year without Tinder.
1. I've become conceited AF
Before Tinder, every time I looked into the mirror staring back at me was a potato. I had no self-confidence at all and thought that one a scale of 1 to 10 I was a solid 1.5 at best. Back in high school, I had one boyfriend that no one else wanted to date and not many friends. So when my match counts quickly rose from one to more than 800, I soon realized I was very sexy and lots of people wanted me. I walked through the campus with my head held high and not worried about my weight or looks.
2. I'm a social butterfly
I use to be an extremely introverted young girl. Going on dates with different people each week I was forced to talk and actually hold a conversation. I learned to speak coherent sentences and not mumble so quietly that people would need subtitles just to understand me. I now can CLEARLY communicate with different types of people. I am no longer an awkward turtle. I blossomed into a social butterfly.
3. My sexuality spectrum
I was always very shy of sex and even the idea of being with someone. I also always went back and forth with myself about whether I was straight or gay. Freshman year, I was a virgin that only was attracted to males. I can now say I am neither on those things. Tinder taught me that I don't need to label myself because sexuality is truly a spectrum. I don't need to be strictly into men or females. I can like a little of both.
4. I learned that stigmas are real
Lust is a thing guys, and I learned that quickly after losing my v card. My Tinder match count wasn't the only number that rose in my life. I learned that people have a lot of bad things to say about women who like to enjoy themselves. My friends started to treat me differently and men did not value me the same anymore.
5. I love myself
I came to appreciate the concept of self-love and respect. Because of the stigmas about women and their sex life, I had to overcome a lot of judgments and truly love myself regardless of someone's opinion of me. The way I valued myself was no longer caused by the way people treated me. I respect and truly love myself.
