What draws us to use its services? Is it the ease of connecting with people? The low investment, high reward? In truth, these questions can be awfully hard to answer depending on who you ask. The consequences of using apps like Tinder could be more universal, however.
Who hasn’t heard of Tinder?
I’ve used Tinder for about a year now, and I’ve learned a lot from it – especially about myself. My first profile was lackluster, filled with low-quality selfies matched with an entirely nondescript bio. I’ve since discovered a lot of the tricks that make a profile “swipeable.” I went from getting a match a week to several a day. At face value, this sounds like quite the improvement, but where my profile succeeded, I did not.
I began to experience a kind of fatigue after a few months of using Tinder. Most of the people I matched with didn’t spark good conversation off the bat. Only two actual real-life meetings occurred, neither of which were terrific by any measure of the word. The continued awkwardness and failure to connect with another person via Tinder was taking a toll on me – one that took me many more months to realize.
Tinder informed me last month that I had over 500 people swipe right on my little profile card. Never in my life could I imagine 500 people finding me attractive, but apparently, I’m better looking than I give myself credit for. I enjoyed the confidence boost, but it got me thinking: at what cost?
Here are my stats: 250 matches in my year on Tinder, averaging to about 0.7 matches a day. Continue reading