Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Online Oddities: To Tinder or not to Tinder.



I am writing this live from my couch on a Saturday night where I sit with a glass of wine and pictures of boys that I must sort into two piles left and right- nope and yes please.

Yes, I am on Tinder.

Before you start judging you should know this is for research purposes only (kind of) and no matter what happens, or how far any of this goes this is just research (kind of).

I have a love/ hate relationship with Tinder. As I do with guys. I have only used Tinder one other time and I hated it so much I deleted the app after two days (if I could do the same with guys I probably would). There was a lot of validated swiping left and it broke me and I genuinely started to question my sexuality.

But round 2 is appearing much more enjoyable. As I sit here and slowly get matches I start to feel the joy, it's a validation of some sort; as is the new super like feature which lets me reject creepy looking guys even quicker. Seeing people I know, or know of come up as suggestions also has its own joy, it's like finding out their dirty little secret and wondering what would happen if you swiped right just to mess with them, I won't do it but if I get bored I might start.

Nope I take it back... this isn't any better the second time. In about 10 minutes I've found:
A guy who has professional photos as every picture on his profile ... slightly creepy, very unsettling - swipe left.

A friend I thought was gay ... feeling as confused as him - swipe left

My friend's ex - swipe left

Aww guy with puppies, I love puppies, I love guys who love puppies ... next picture ... and he is naked - swipe left

My brothers friend (lying about his age) - swipe left

Ripped guy without a shirt - swipe left

Ripped guy without a shirt - swipe left

Ripped guy without a shirt - swipe left

Guy with 120 mutual friends - swipe left

Totally hot guy snowboarding, (yes!!) and a funny one liner ... completely different person in the next 4 pictures - swipe left and cry a little

In a moment of total desperation to have some fun with this I swipe right for someone that I know and have met in real life at various events. We were matched and now this is all starting to feel a little real-er than I wanted it to.

I'm not even thinking about what I'm doing anymore I'm just swiping left. I just got bored and put the age range up and swiped through and vomited in my mouth a little. Nooooo I accidentally swiped someone left instead of right and you have to pay to rewind ... I'm hating it again. I am starting to think about every guy I ever turned down in high school and I am hating my past self a little

Guy I turned down in high school - swipe left

I really hope this is a last resort and not my only option. Seriously starting to wonder how people used to meet each other.

Ripped guy without a shirt - swipe left

In the last 24 hours I have sent 20 screenshots to best friends of Tinder profiles that made me laugh / hate myself, 15 matches, 7 super likes (all of them were swiped left), 3 conversations, a slightly inflated ego and the valuable advice to all friends in relationships that they should stay in them because there is not much out there, apparently there are not plenty of fish in the sea.
In saying that though the stats do show that Tinder is the app of a brave new world:

Five people I know have found long term partners through tinder

One friend used it to ensure she had a different date every weekend only to quit it because she found herself procrastinating.

One friend spent a month dating a guy she had met on tinder and just when she was sure he was the one and introduced him to everyone she knew (including me), she found him in bed on the app

And in conclusion, I do have a few very nice dates lined up for the next few weeks, for research (kind of).


- Alessandra 
*Mosaik does not take credit for the image used in this article


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