With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many singles on campus might be looking for last minute dates.
For some students, the traditional, in-person approach to romance is becoming a thing of the past. The modern dating scene consists of a few leading apps that, with a little luck, may land users an interesting dinner partner for Friday night.
Tinder is by far an industry leader in the dating app world and has paved the way for many of the apps that are currently popular. For the uninitiated, Tinder utilizes a swipe system; the user looks at a potential date’s photos and bio and swipes either left or right. The directions are straightforward: a left swipe means the user doesn’t want to date them, and a right swipe means they do. If the person the user swipes right on also swipes right on them, then they have a match. That’s when users can take the time to craft their best pick-up lines and send messages.
Tinder also has a feature known as the super like. Instead of swiping right, a user can swipe up and show extra interest in the person on their screen.
The app is free, but paid premium users gain bonus daily super likes, the ability to redo an erroneous swipe and have access to the list of people who have swiped right on them.
Common criticisms of Tinder include perceived superficiality and an unfriendly structure of the app. For some users, especially women, messages can be harassing or downright threatening.
To combat this issue, the dating app Bumble altered the Tinder formula. The same swipe system is used, but when a match is made female users have 24 hours to message first. If the first message isn’t sent, the match is deleted unless an extension is used on the male user’s end. In the case of same-sex matches, either can message first.
Bumble’s structure helps lower the pressure some feel on apps like Tinder, but some apps have ditched the swipe system altogether.
Hinge operates on a liking and commenting system where users choose a specific part of a potential date’s profile and message them with it referenced. The goal is to break the ice and allow the messaged user to see exactly what it was that their new conversation partner is interested in.
There are many dating app success stories, but caution is still advised for those seeking to meet up. Given the quick nature of the app, users run the risk of being catfished and arriving at a date to find a completely different person than the one they swiped right on. Meeting in public places for the first time is recommended to avoid becoming stuck in an awkward or potentially dangerous situation.
Tinder, Bumble and Hinge are in no way the only apps on the market. From Lumen to Farmer’s Only, nearly every group can find representation. Remember to have fun and stay safe this Valentine’s Day.
