It is Summer and love is in the air, or at least that's what they say. With online dating, it's easier than ever to find a guy or gal to spend these three months with or at least a few days of it. You could honestly find a different pal for each day of summer if you really wanted to.
The most popular dating app today would probably have to be Tinder. If you don't know what that is, basically you make a profile that has your age, location, and a couple pictures of yourself. You write a short biography to tell a little about you and what you're looking for, and then other people will see your profile and either swipe right or left. A right swipe shows that you're interested, and a left swipe means that you're not. If you both swipe right, you match and have the opportunity to talk to one another. Thus: a spark is born.
I'll admit that, like most people, I have used the app. It can be kind of fun to see the goofy profiles out there and meet new people, but it's also really scary. It seems like there's always new horror stories about Internet meet-ups gone wrong. People end up dead or with their identity stolen; is it really worth the risk? Most seem to think so.
Yes, there are some people that met on Tinder and got married, but most of the time, it's more of a game. People go on to catfish (pretend to be someone you aren't with a fake profile) or just to swipe for fun. I never really saw it as a serious thing, just as a way to meet friends or to laugh at profiles. Some people come up with really good ones. One guy I saw had screenshots of a powerpoint presentation he made to convince girls to swipe right. The creativity knows no bounds.
Then there's always the people whose pictures are of their animals, the people who only post selfies with half of their faces showing, and the people message you right away asking for your phone number. The generic Tinder user basically sucks and is a waste of time. Yet sometimes, there's that one profile. The profile with good pictures, a funny biography, and maybe even a six pack of abs that make you give it a second look. Then you decide to swipe up: the super like. It shows you really like someone. However, that doesn't mean they really like you, and can sometimes result in no match and a low self-esteem.
Tinder is a waste of time. It really is. If you have the time, sure go have fun and meet friends or try your hand at love. If you don't have the time, don't join. You'll probably meet someone without it. I think it's a cuter story to have a "meet-cute". That's when you're at the grocery store and you and some cute guy touch an avocado at the same time, your eyes meet, and end up exchanging Snapchat usernames and falling in love. They say there's plenty of fish in the sea, but there's also plenty of profiles on Tinder.