Is Tinder a Dating App? A Hot Debate
Human beings (or at least most human beings) require relationships for healthy and satisfactory lives, we are by nature, social creatures. The relationships we choose to partake in can take many forms from platonic friendships to romantic partnerships. Titles of these different types of relationships, identities, as well as orientations are spidering into all different types of scales and spectrums and can become quite confusing. That being said, in the age of technology, finding acquaintances that will help us to create our relationships and identities is becoming increasingly easier. Social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and the holy-grail of Instagram have made meeting new people especially easy. However, to further these attempts, the existence of dating services such as Eharmony and Tinder have made finding romantic/sexual partners (specifically) even easier. At a first glance, Tinder and Eharmony belong on the same playing field, but actually these two different examples are playing for two different teams.
Both companies are online services that aim to bring single persons together to create some sort of partnership (whether it lasts for one vodka cranberry or one lifetime is irrelevant right?). At their root, yes they are similar, but the results of the services they provide often go in two separate directions. Tinder has become synonymous with quick and easy hookups that do not go much further beyond first names and one night stands. While Eharmony is more of a household name that your sister’s-friend’s-cousin met her fiance of 2 years with, and boy she couldn’t be happier. As Nick Bilton of the New York Times puts it, “And all that swiping has given Tinder the nickname “the hookup app,” for its reputation for one-night stands-though the company tries to distance itself from the label.” Whether the company enjoys being known for it’s hookup status is irrelevant, because that is exactly what it does.
The differences between dating apps and dating sites is even more clear when discussing the methods used to create matches. Companies like Eharmony and Match.com utilize “love algorithms” while Tinder capitalizes on men (and women’s) mere physical attraction. Bilton characterizes Tinder in the same way someone would approach another in a bar-type setting; a person does not walk in and fill out an application and wait for a message, they see someone they find visually appealing and offer to buy them a drink or ask for a dance. This is perhaps the biggest difference between apps like Tinder and sites like Eharmony, the reason more hookups happen with Tinder is because it is rooted in physical desire while Eharmony makes attempts at establishing emotional connections between users. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic wrote a piece for The Guardian, and within it he sums up the difference between the face-based Tinder and emotion-centric dating site, “This has been an important lesson for data enthusiasts who have tried to sterilise the game of love by injecting rigorous decision-making and psychometric algorithms into the process. Well, it turns out that people are a lot more superficial than psychologists thought. They would rather judge 50 pictures in two minutes than spend 50 minutes assessing one potential partner.”
Tinder is not the only hookup hub of the internet. Grindr is a location based app meant for gay/bisexual/queer men looking for partners and is also well known for its resulting sexual encounters. HER which was previously known as Daatch, is also a location based app (similar to both Tinder and Grindr) that is meant for lesbian, bisexual, or queer women. Grindr and HER fall into categories slightly different from Tinder because they focus on LGBTQ communities distinctively, while Tinder offers both “heterosexual and homosexual” search options. LGBTQ communities have their own stereotypes revolving promiscuity and sexcapades, and their connection to the technosexual landscapes that differ from the heterosexual experiences that dominate Tinder.
Despite the target audience, one difference does prevail between dating services, some are free and some cost money. Eharmony and its lesser known counterparts charge, sometimes a hefty fee for its usage; while Tinder and its counterparts are cost free (besides some gimmicky in-app purchase options). The users of expensive dating agencies are typically older and more invested in finding a serious relationship. A study was performed through Winthrop University’s psychology department in which the risk taking behavior, age, and gender were examined in users of free versus paid dating programs. The results generally stated that those not looking for long term relationships were more likely to use free dating services (like Tinder) and more men used free dating sites (Grom). In addition, Emily Grom reports “Sixty percent of paid site users expected to meet their perfect match and less than 1 % expected to just hook up.” Despite these findings, there are those that disagree with defining Tinder as an app that is used by most for sexually driven purposes. At times, it is seen as a successful way to meet new people and potential long term partners. It would be impossible to dismiss that healthy long-lasting relationships can result from Tinder, in fact many have, however there is a clear trend that forces Tinder into the new-age category of “hookup apps”.
Considering that some people do not even know that Tinder exists, discussing the subtle differences that define it as a hookup app (compared to dating websites) may seem irrelevant. Yet, walk down the hallway of any given dorm room and buzzwords like “swipe left” or “new match” will be in abundance. From the perspective of a college student the presence of social media and dating services is incredibly large and even distracting, which is why open avenues of dialogue surrounding them are not only important but also beneficial. Understanding how to navigate this new world of technology is necessary for those being brought up in an age where it demands their attention. Knowing what sets Tinder apart from the rest may not aid in getting a college degree but it does help when it weaves its way into most dining hall conversations.
Rowan Counterintuitive 