Published 2013-05-08T14:27:00Z”/>
Nicole Santos
Two minutes of your time.
That’s all it takes to download an iPhone app <a href=”http://www.gotinder.com/”>Tinder</a> which may or may not help you meet your future husband or wife.
However, I think the app designers have ulterior motives.
Social media creators needs to rethink the ways in which it helps people “find love.”
Connecting and mingling with others has become so popular online – and through social media – that I think people forget to check back into the real world every once in a while.
Instead of actually helping people build relationships with others, I think Tinder feeds into the notion that when it comes to dating people, others often judge solely on physical appearance.
The app takes the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” to a whole new level of shallowness.
I was introduced to Tinder two weekends ago by a close friend.
He demonstrated how the app works. Users sign into Facebook and are then shown singles nearby. On their screen, pictures of potential matches appear, allowing the user to “like” or pass the photo.
Apparently, in order to communicate and message someone, my friend said not only does he have to like the woman’s photo, but she must like his photo in return.
It’s scary to me that this dating app has become so popular to the point that people claim they have “tinderitis.”
According to a <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/tinder-dating-app_n_3044472.html”>Huffington Post article</a>, tinderitis is essentially defined as the sensation of having a sore thumb from swiping to approve or reject the faces of people offered up as potential date material.
It seems to me that the allure of Tinder is purely based off of the fact users receive “likes” from complete strangers. If the attraction is mutual, they can communicate.
Now, I’ll admit that it’s a great feeling when someone likes my Facebook status or Instagram photo, but the difference between those “likes” is that not only do the people liking my items know me but they aren’t deciding if they like me just based off my looks.
There’s a bit of substance in the content I post, whether it be song lyrics from one of my favorite singers or a photo of the countless Tea Bar and Fusion Cafe trips I make with friends.
People are learning something about me when they like these items whereas Tinder becomes an ego booster where “likes” indicate that someone finds them attractive.
I’d find the app more tasteful if it were just like Facebook.
The fact that all the user sees is an image of a single stranger justifies the notion that we are in fact shallow people because we constantly judge others merely on appearance.
Personally I’ve never considered online dating or any thing of that sort, so when my friend showed me the app I immediately thought it was ridiculous.
I don’t think Tinder should be classified as a dating app. I consider it an app that allows people to feel good about themselves while simultaneously checking out other singles.
Individuals who use apps like Tinder should put down their phones, take a break from playing the “hot or not” game and try interacting with single people in real time.
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<strong>Nicole Santos can be reached at</strong> <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
