Can Tinder Help You Find "The One?"

Three young people weigh in on this dating app's ability to find love.

Source: Mika Baumeister

Let’s face it, the dating scene has completely changed.

With the rise of social media and the ever-persistent Coronavirus pandemic, it’s become a lot more common these days to try and look for love on an app than it is IRL. At first, apps like Tinder made it seem so easy to find the love of your life in just a few quick swipes. But as more and more people begin to use Tinder, the question is...

Does it really work?

I spoke with three different app users to learn about their personal experiences with it.

"It gives you a better real-world perspective."

Hannah Robinson

After a nasty breakup, Hannah decided to download Tinder not knowing what she would find. Soon after, her opinion on dating apps completely changed.

Q: When you first downloaded Tinder, what exactly were you looking for?

A: Let’s be real, I was looking for validation from men. Goal-wise I was kind of just on there to see what happened. I had never been on there [before] so I didn’t really have a point to it.

Eventually Hannah would match with someone who would later become her boyfriend.

Q: When you first matched, what was going through your head?

A: He was cute, he had a sense of humor, and he had a mustache so obviously I had to swipe right. But I definitely did not think it was going to be anything serious.

Q: When did you start to think it could actually be something serious?

A: Probably after the second date. After the second date I was like, ‘I kind of like this one.’

Q: Would you say because of this experience your opinion on Tinder changed?

A: At first, I was looking for something a bit more casual because I wasn’t really ready to jump into a serious relationship and I didn’t think they [serious relationships] came from Tinder. But almost a year into using it, it changed my opinion. You do really get to try out people in a non-traditional setting so you kind of get a handle on what your attraction is, what are red flags for you, and what type of personality works for you. It gives you a better real-world perspective of what you’re interested in, but I think there’s something superficial about it which can ruin the genuine experience. Basically the way you judge someone is from the three to six photos they post on their Tinder account and I think that’s not really a fair assessment of who someone is.

"[It] has added a lot of flavor to my life."

Maggie Vatter

Maggie has been using Tinder ever since she turned eighteen. Since then, her experiences with the app have been unique to say the least.

Q: What made you want to download the app?

A: Just to meet people. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, I just wanted to see what Tinder was about.

Q: What were your thoughts when you first started using it?

A: It was so addicting at first. Literally for a week straight I was swiping every spare moment. Afterwards I was like, ‘This is so boring, and every man looks the same.’

Q: How would you describe your experience so far using the app?

A: There aren’t enough words. It’s definitely been memorable and has added a lot of flavor to my life.

Throughout her time using Tinder, Maggie has gone on several…. interesting dates.

Q: So how have the dates gone?

A: One of them I had my first kiss so that was interesting. Another time, I was on a date and I jumped a fence, and the fence gave me a wedgie. He was like, ‘that looks like it hurts’ but did not try to help me at all.

Q: Did you guys end up going out again?

A: Yeah, but it just didn’t end up working out.

Q: So has your opinion on Tinder changed since you first started using it?

A: I just take it a lot less seriously. When you first start, you’re like, ‘Oh my god, what do people think of me?’ but using it now, it’s just like you would use Twitter, it just takes up time.

"You get out what you put in."

Andy Ackerman

When Andy first started swiping on Tinder, he treated it more like a joke than a dating app.

Q: Do you remember when the first time you downloaded Tinder was?

A: First time I lied about my age, I was like sixteen or seventeen and still in high school.

Q: What were you looking for when you downloaded it?

A: I don’t really know. I wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time, I was just kind of fucking around.

Q: When you first started using it, what were your thoughts?

A: I was just kind of pushing the limits of it. I wasn’t really looking for anything. I was just young and being like, ‘Oh there are real women on this thing.’

Andy’s experiences with Tinder did a complete 180 after he re-downloaded the app years later.

Q: I know you did end up meeting somebody on Tinder, you want to tell me a little more about that?

A: About five years later I got it again and this time I was just trying to meet people. The first date I went on, we ended up hitting it off pretty well. We kept going on dates and they kept getting better and better and so we decided to start a relationship.

Q: Do you think that Tinder can help you find a serious relationship?

A: You get out what you put in. If you’re looking for that [then] yeah, but it’s hard.

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Although my personal experience with Tinder has been limited, I’m starting to see the benefits to dating apps.

It always used to be so “sketchy” to match with people on Tinder, but the funny thing is that the pandemic has legitimized dating apps.

It’s never been less sketchy to talk to someone online because you can get to know them behind the safety of your phone screen, instead of worrying about whether or not this stranger has given you Covid after an in-person conversation.

It’s time I start to rethink my Tinder strategy, that’s for sure.