You probably wouldn’t want others to say it, but do you sometimes think of yourself as the shallow type? Do you like to, for instance, window shop for your next meet-up? Well if it sounds like I’m describing you, then you’re the perfect fit for Tinder.
Imagine taking out your iPhone and being able to flip through images of people of similar age, with similar interests, and who are nearby. If you like what you see, you “like” them. If you don’t like what you see, you “pass” them.
Don’t fret, you can dig a little deeper before you make your decision. By clicking on a person you get basic information like age, profile pictures, and interests. Once you make your decision, it is completely anonymous unless you both “like” one another.
Tinder seems to be targeting the college aged crowd, give or take a few years. When I downloaded the app and fired it up, my first few “options” were familiar friends nearby. Why wouldn’t I like them? Some of them were matches, others weren’t. When I had a mutual match, the option of communicating with them through the in-app messaging feature was unlocked. If they weren’t a match, I was on to the next and I never had to worry or think about it again. They’ll never know that I “liked” them unless they liked me too.
When you like someone who also likes you – that’s where things (can) get interesting.
As you can probably gather, so far my experience wasn’t one that had me matching up with my anonymous soul-mate who I’d been longing to meet for the past 21 years of my life. It was just fun. Getting matched with your friends nearby, and exchanging a few messages wasn’t anything life-changing. The novelty of getting a match with your friend, who also might be your neighbor was exciting – for about 5 minutes.
Don’t worry though, the fun didn’t disappear.
I decided to keep the app for a few days and play around with it. When I was bored or waiting around with time to spare, why not open the app and flip through pictures in the “hot-or-not style” experience. I found the user experience to be simple yet effective. The app is nicely designed and works well. The visual aspects are well balanced with pictures as well as the option to view more personal information.
One of the features that I really like makes the process of making your choice a lot quicker. Rather than clicking the check-mark or “X” button, you can simply drag a picture to the left for a “pass” or to the right for a “like.” Suddenly, I found myself whizzing through hundreds of potential matches in just minutes.
What The Other Half Thinks
So you’ve heard my male perspective but what do the ladies think? After all, without them, Tinder wouldn’t appeal to a very large crowd.
Gina Lazara is a 21 year old senior at Syracuse University. She said she only downloaded the app because someone told her to. “I initially got it as a joke because my friends told me to. If I ever find myself going on it, it’s for pure entertainment.”
So, whether you’re serious about finding that next person to meet, or just want to have a little fun, Tinder might just be the app for you.
Do you use Tinder? What do you think of it. Share your thoughts below in the comments sections, or tweet me @JaredMandel.
