Dating apps? Not so fast.

The main reason that I am writing about dating apps, mainly tinder, is to explore the best ways to use them and the psychological effects that that they have on its users. There are many factors like culture, religion, age, gender, etc. that create an incredibly diverse population which makes it impossible to predict how and why exactly someone should use a dating app. However, with the help of my curiosity and research I will do my best to give some tips and ideas about how college students can have fun with a dating app and not find themselves hurt or disappointed.

Should you download a dating app when you’re in college? Well, it depends. College may seem like the perfect time in your life to download a dating app and meet as many people as possible. I believe this is true, but only if you know exactly what you want, whether it is hooking up and finding friends or finding the love of your life. Users should be confident and know what they are worth before they decide to sail into the online dating world. From my own personal experience using dating apps, I have found that they work the best when I do not take them seriously. However, this may not work for someone looking to be in a long time relationship.

Users, especially young ones, are not aware of the emotional effect that a dating app can have on them or why exactly they have a dating app. Maybe they have low self-esteem? In the Time magazine article “Tinder users generally have a lower self-esteem: study”, the authors explain that tinder users have a more negative opinion about their appearance than people who do not use dating apps (Oaklander). Participating in tinder is related with the search for other people’s acceptance caused by the stigmas that society has when it comes to appearance. Tinder creates a dynamic in which men and women are judged by their appearance, something that I believe women are generally more used to. In the KQED article “In other news, tinder users worry about their looks” The author states that “Tinder use is associated with higher levels of body shame…lower levels of self-esteem, among other negative outcomes” (Brooks). Which means that tinder can be shallow and more damaging than beneficial to its users. Dating apps show the need of someone for friendship, a significant other, and sex.

However, even though it is probably awkward to tell your parents that you found the love of your life on a dating app, many couples that have met on a dating platform have ended up in front of the altar. According to the New York Times, “The Dating App Pool Isn’t completely shallow” in the article the authors tell a few stories about how people that met on tinder ended up tying the knot. It is not surprising to hear that someone found the love of their life on tinder or another dating app. Even though dating apps are sometimes promoted as just a way to find hookups or one night stands, “swiping right” can sometimes change someone’s life for the better.

Works Cited

Brooks, By Jon. “In Other News, Tinder Users Worry About Their Looks.” KQED Future of You. KQED, 8 Aug. 2016. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.

Foster, Brooke Lea. “The Tinder Dating Pool Isn’t Completely Shallow.” The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., 26 Aug. 2016. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.

Oaklander, Mandy. “Tinder Users Have Lower Self-Esteem.” Time. Time Inc, 4 Aug. 2016. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.