I was having a conversation with some friends the other day regarding some of the coolest, most romantic apps - including Tinder - and a new one I hadn't yet heard of called Bumble. Personally, I just love these apps. I mean, what's better than openly deciding whether a person is worth talking to purely off their looks?

Sarcasm aside, I understand not everyone uses these apps to try and find their soulmate, but the fact that it's basically used as a "hook up" connection in and of itself disgusts me. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I'm not a fan of acknowledging emotions and am nowhere close to being the romantic type, but that being said I still have so many problems with what's become of our dating (or lack thereof) culture. I'm sure you've read a million and one articles on why we should bring back dating and romance, but seeing as I'm not personally interested in either of those things, I wanted to bring up another impact of hook-up culture that is sometimes overlooked: the harm it does to self-esteem.

I prude pride myself in having high standards; the idea of one-night-stands aren't very appealing to me. I mean, if someone is going to get the honor of seeing me naked, they better be damn worthy. The looks I get from other people when I bring this up never fails to amaze me. It's like I'm the crazy one just because I won't go home with a guy I just met (well, that, and the fact that I rarely even find guys to reject, but that's a separate issue we can tackle at a later date). Don't get me wrong, it's not like I judge others for doing whatever/whomever they want. This is such a personal issue and I feel people should do what they feel comfortable with, but I'm sick of being in the minority.

So, in essence I should be fine approaching dating in the way I like, right? Wrong. Since I don't think about this the way the majority of people do, I'm faced with a ton of negative thoughts each weekend I don't hook up with anyone. No matter how confident I may seem, that doesn't mean the self-doubt put on by societal pressure doesn't enter my brain. Did I not look good enough tonight? Am I just saying I don't care because I don't want to say that I'm not good enough and it's easier to think I'm choosing this lifestyle? And if these are just some of the problems I've run into, I can't imagine the things that run through the minds of those who support the hook-up culture.

The idea behind the aforementioned "dating" apps is based on the physical appearance of another person. I'm not that idealistic. I understand people decide to talk to others based somewhat on what they look like, and I know personally there are people I only want to talk to because they are attractive. But the added emphasis through these apps give people even more concern towards how they look. I had plenty of self-confidence and body image issues when I was younger with just AIM and Seventeen magazine to keep me entertained. I'm sure the existence and popularity of these apps have made these issues exponentially worse.

All this being said, go ahead and Tinder away if that's what your heart desires, but don't think that you have to. And don't think you're not good enough if you don't. I only wish the popularity of the hook-up culture would decrease because if that's the only way I'm going to get a guy, then I'm going to be a single lady for life. But TBH cats are pretty dope, and I don't judge you for eating pizza every night. So, IDK, I'll make it work.