Sick of trying to find someone, or just looking for a one night stand?
Tinder has been changing how we go out and date. No more chivalry; it’s a dying breed. We have replaced it with a tiny red flame on our screen that “Jimmy” has sent us a message, or liked our “moment.”
As a child, I used to ask parents how they meet their significant others -- airplanes, blind dates, weddings, meeting at party and met at college. It’s amazing to see how their stories lead to their own happy ending of marriage and children.
Now, picture how a child in the future asking, “How did you meet, Mommy and Daddy?”
The father will put down his newspaper and break the news. “Mommy and I met on Tinder.” And it’s going to be acceptable.
We, now, lie to our friends or our parents or guardians and pull some lame story to avoid telling them a creepy way we meet a person. Don’t even get me started on the awkward first time hanging out, or dates.The nerves are all over the place because you don’t want to be catfished. “What if they are ugly? What if they are creepy? Yet, I cannot be a critic. I went a couple dates with guys from Tinder. Some of them were just god awful. I actually wanted to say, "I will lemon law you" (only HIMYM fans will get that).
I am a horrible liar, and when I lied to a guy about why I had to leave right away, I was shocked he bought it. Yet, again, there are some guys that I matched with and if I saw them in public I would never even approach them because they were like a cool glass of water and I don’t have the guts.
That’s the problem. We don’t have the courage, now. It’s beenreplaced with social media as our scapegoat to say anything that we want. I can recall several moments in my life when I dealt with someone I didn’t tolerate, or was fighting with, by using my words across the screen. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, text messages, SnapChat and, now, Tinder are a way we express ourselves and refrain from taking action.
As a journalism and media studies major, I can see how damaging it is to use social media. With Tinder’s creation, we are hiding, even more, behind a screen. You think that girl is hot? You will never tell her how you feel unless you have alcohol in your system, and that’s when you think it’s a great idea to SnapChat or text her. It’s not the greatest idea. For anyone who is a Pretty Little Liars fan, if you think about it, the main villain wouldn’t be able to terrorize the Liars without the technology we have at our fingertips, today.
Sometimes, I use social media to just talk to boys. I sometimes suggest it to certain people I know who are too shy, or don’t think they are good enough, to use it to get a little boost of confidence, which is horrible of me.
Yet, college is a rut. You are in limbo or dating, serious hardcore relationship or hooking up. There is no moment you are just single, unless you are not making an effort to get out there. Which is impossible because just waving to someone could be see as flirty -- don’t get me started on how everything is seen as flirty.
Life is a cycle. You are starting to look for that special someone who adores every little thing about you. It’s the misconception about Tinder. You both know from being matched that you see something, but the real issue is, like the movie, That Awkward Moment, “Nothing good ever comes after sex.”
We don’t know what the other person wants on Tinder. They should designate specific relationship you want when you sign on: relationship, hookups, only hookup once, dating, or the cruelest -- all talk.
Yet, weirdly, some of my guys friends have come from there. People who invite me to parties and are my connections to events have also come from there. I guess Tinder may be seen as only one thing but, in reality, it’s like any other social network platform. What you put into it and see in it, in terms of networking, can help you. On the other hand, if you find the right someone on Tinder, maybe it will work out in the way you want it.
Happy matching.
