Has society burned out on Tinder?

Launched in 2012, Tinder has reached dizzying heights for a mobile app. The term ‘swipe right’ has become part of our generation’s lexicon, where people figuratively swipe right for someone in their head if someone is their ‘type’. Throw recent phenomenon’s such as Love Island and Ex on the Beach into the equation, and it’s clear that the casual discussion of sex has amplified, with some thanks owed to Tinder.

By 2014, the app was registering around one billion ‘swipes’ per day. Take into consideration that there’s over seven billion people in the world, this puts the figures into global proportions. The average user would also spend around 90 minutes on the app per day. This unhealthy statistic reflects just how far Tinder has shaped our desire to find that special someone, whether it be for a relationship or casual sex.

According to statista.com, 39% of Tinder users are 16-24…

It’s also interesting to note who is more likely to use Tinder. According to statista.com, 39% of Tinder users are 16-24. It seems to be in popular culture that Tinder is for a younger audience. Yet, the glow around Tinder dulled recently. With newer apps such as Grindr, Bumble and Badoo, the initial hubbub around Tinder has decreased.

Think of Tinder as the ‘Myspace’ of dating apps. Originally, it came out and it was exciting and innovative. The thought of being able to judge someone immediately just on a few pictures and a bio revolutionized dating. Now, creating that perfect Tinder profile only adds to the vacuous nature of how people represent themselves online.

I’m writing this as someone who has the app on their phone. I can’t really remember why I downloaded it in the first place, it seemed like a bit of a game, and the fact I treated it as a game clearly shows a major flaw with Tinder and dating apps in the first place. To me, when I saw someone on the screen, you can immediately get rid of them if they don’t fit what you perceive to be your perfect match. Yet, how are you to know if someone is good for you without encountering them in a social, dare I say it, normal face-to-face situation?

I know of many people whose friends have gone on their Tinder and swiped right for people out of pity, or to mock the person on their screen. It adds in to recent dating crazes, such as pigging, where a person is belittled or led to believe that the other person has feelings for them, when in fact they’ve fallen for a cruel joke.

Some use Tinder in the aim of ‘completing’ it, or to up their matches count to impress friends…

Tinder is another outlet of social media, with dating connotations attached to it. However, some use Tinder in the aim of ‘completing’ it, or to up their matches count to impress friends. This alone is demonstrative that Tinder’s days are almost over.

I’m not totally against Tinder. I think that if you find the right person, it can work. I know of a few Tinder success stories in our age, where people have gone on to find their Mr or Mrs Right.

It’s important to consider Tinder’s mission statement, given by their founder Match: “Establishing a romantic connection is a fundamental human need… our mission is to increase romantic connectivity worldwide.”

However, I’d argue that Tinder’s not just used to find that romantic connection anymore. It’s a social media platform, and another tool to subject men and women to expected beauty standards. Tinder has had its day.