Senior Sentiments: Find an ’appily ever after

It’s no secret that in today’s world, social media has become a part of our everyday lives, whether we use it to check up on a friend we haven’t talked to in a while or post informative articles for a class discussion. Regardless, it’s everywhere and it’s not going away anytime soon. It’s even made its way into another aspect of our lives: dating.
One of the latest social media crazes is a new dating app called Tinder. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, creators Sean Rad, Justin Mateen, Jonathan Badeen and Christopher Gulczunski wanted to assist people in getting to know each other with the app’s easy-to-use features. So how exactly does it work? Well for starters, it’s a game of hit or miss. In order to have the app, you need to log in with your Facebook account and from there you can configure your settings as to what gender and age range of people you’d like to see, up to what distance you’d like your potential matches to be, as well as how many (if you choose to have any) Tinder pictures you’d like to upload. From there, the app will find potential matches for you based on your settings. If you like who you see, swipe right on your screen. If not, swipe left. Ultimately, if you match with someone, meaning that they “liked” you as well, you both have the ability to message each other. Not to worry, if they come on too strong, you can always block them.
I’ve only had the app downloaded on my phone for the past two weeks and have definitely had some interesting experiences thus far. In all honesty, the only reason I downloaded it in the first place is for pure entertainment. Though I am a hopeless romantic, the fact that the majority of Tinder users are under the age of 30 leads me to believe that the odds of finding a serious relationship isn’t impossible, but is highly unlikely since most 20-somethings in today’s generation are simply looking for a “hook-up” or to go out and have a good time. Additionally, the different kinds of personalities I’ve encountered are ones that even the greatest authors would be incapable of portraying in their next bestsellers. As a result, I thought it would be worthwhile to take a look at some of the most common kinds of guys I’ve encountered on Tinder so far:
The Thirsty: A.K.A your stereotypical fitness buffs who think they’re the coolest things since sliced bread. The conceited, dirty mirror selfie connoisseurs who are only after one thing, and ladies, it’s not your brain.
The Mutual Friend: Well, this is awkward. Whether it’s your roommate’s friend or your cousin’s aunt’s brother-in-law’s son from a previous marriage, you’ll never look at him the same way again once you’ve encountered him on Tinder.
The Overly Sensitive: Save the drama for your mama, dude. This is a dating app, not a therapy session.
The Taken: Really, what the heck are you doing on a dating app if you already have a girlfriend? Bro, you either need to delete your profile or re-evaluate your life choices.
The Obsessed: Oh you know, a potential stalker, maybe serial killer? Ladies, this is where blocking comes in handy.
The Hopeless Romantic: Wait, you mean you’re actually looking for a relationship? There’s hope for love on Tinder after all?
The “Wait, What?”: In all seriousness, you’ll never have a date, so much as a match on this app, if the first picture that’s visible is of you wearing nothing but a diaper posing like Captain Morgan. Yes, I said diaper. True story.
With that being said, I’m interested in what guys have to say about the app as well as the kinds of encounters other girls have had with Tinder. Though its potential for pairing long-lasting matches is still uncertain, I think it’s safe to say that it has been successful in being a confidence booster to any girl who loves a compliment or a good laugh. Even if you’re looking for love and haven’t had the best luck, at least you can brush up on some bad pick-up lines from your experiences on Tinder.
-Sabrina Safran
Senior digital media major
Printed in the 2/12/14 edition