Being single has its perks, especially when you write about relationships. I consider myself somewhat of an online dating veteran and have lived to tell several crazy/hilarious/depressing tales of my ventures. So, when I heard about Tinder, the online dating app that is the latest craze amongst singles, I knew I had to try it out.
Tinder connects to your Facebook account and uses your phone’s GPS to find other users around you. You can choose up to five photos from your Facebook account to put on display, and also write a bio. The only other personal info that is made public is your first name and your age. Match settings are far more limiting than other online dating sites; with Tinder, you can only specify the gender and age of the person you would like to be matched with and limit the search distance to your liking (it can go up to 100 miles).
Related Article: 5 Celebrities Who Use Tinder
The good thing about Tinder is that it takes out a lot of that awkwardness and anxiety that comes along with online dating. If you see someone you like, you swipe right. If you see someone you don’t like, you swipe left. The only time you are able to start communicating with someone else is if you’ve both liked each other¦so you won’t have to risk those ego-crushing moments of instant rejection.
So for, ahem, writing purposes I played with the app for a couple of months to give you, dear readers, the inside scoop on the world of Tinder.
Here’s what I’ve learned after using the app:
1. The amount of married men on Tinder is astonishing. I can’t tell you how many WEDDING photos I’ve seen put on display, and photos of seemingly “happy” families (including mom and dad with their newborn baby). I’m not sure if these guys are complete douchebags, have no idea what Tinder is for, or if they’re looking for a threesome, but either way, I’m swiping left.
2. You will find some “local celebs” on Tinder. Ex MuchMusic VJs, YouTube personalities, and even the photographer of a really popular Canadian fashion website…
3. You will 100% see people you know on Tinder. People on your Facebook friends lists, ex-boyfriends, neighbours, kids you went to high school with, teachers… You can either see this as super awkward, or use this as a chance to finally hook up with that cute guy from math class that you never had the guts to talk to back in the day. He’ll never know you swiped right if he doesn’t do the same.
4. ALWAYS swipe left when you see the boyfriend of someone you know on Tinder. No ifs, ands, or buts. (And unfortunately, the chances of seeing this are high).
5. Once you match up with a guy, you’ll realize many of them really aren’t as hot as you originally thought. And because of this…
6.¦you won’t interact with 75% of the guys you’ve matched with. Seriously.
7. There will come times where you’ll swipe left so many times that you’ll accidentally do the same when you see a hot guy and proceed to scream, NOOOOO!
8. Much like most online dating sites, a lot of guys will lie about their age. At least some of them put in their real age in their bio. I guess they can’t figure out how to change it on Facebook.
9. You’ll get really excited when you get a recommendation that shares mutual friends because that way you can look them up on your friend’s friend list and find out more info (aka see more photos).
10. Either people are having identity issues, or Tinder has a lot of glitches. Even though I stated I am a female looking for a male, I’ve had several females show up. There were also some very obviously gay men who showed up as a recommendation. Um¦thanks, but no thanks?
11. You’ll feel extremely superficial using Tinder (it is, after all, mainly based on looks), but after a while, you really won’t care.
12. Tinder is really fun to play when you’re drunk, bored, or hungover. It also makes for a great drinking game with friends.
13. If a guy doesn’t have any solo pictures, swipe left. Chances are, he’s the ugly one in the picture.
14. You will see one too many bios saying, I’m a Tinder surprise!
15. A lot of guys put their Instagram accounts into their bios. It’s a great way to check out if he really is that good looking (unless his account is private¦then boo to him).
16. If you’ve given up on finding someone on Tinder, you can at least put the app to good use by playing Matchmaker. Tinder gives you the option of matching up two people on your Facebook friend list that you think would be a great couple/hook-up/whatever you want to call it.
17. If you go on vacay and are looking for a casual hookup, Tinder is the way to go. For some reason, men overseas always seem to be much sexier.
18. You will have guys ask you if you have Facebook¦somehow plenty of them don’t realize that you need to have an account to join the app. Have some fun with it and tell them no. Chances are, they’ll believe you.
19. Don’t trust guys who only have pics with sunglasses on. You know how they say the eyes are the window to the soul? Well, there must be something really wrong with the guy if he is wearing sunglasses in every single picture in his profile. What are you trying to hide?!
20. Don’t use Tinder to find love. Because let’s face it, it’s the straight version of Grindr, and in other words, a straight-up hook-up app.
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Im not sure whats with some people nowadays and their awkwardness towards being asked out or hit on, like its offensive or something. Thank god the majority of the human race doesnt feel this way or wed go extinct as a species