I hooked up with a girl on Tinder – it’s time to take it seriously

Back in October I got Tinder mainly for something to write about in the Tab. Three months of swiping past without a date, I came home from university as single as I was when I arrived. A whole term and not one offer of an engagement.

Safely home in London, my cat already starting to lose his novelty again, I opened up Tinder. It was like my first time all over again. Gone are the days of the “no one new around you” page. An endless selection of boys and girls.

One day home and I had arranged a date with a girl. We have no mutual friends; she wasn’t even a student.

I have had offers to meet up with Tinder-boys before, perfectly attractive ones, but the motivation to date them had never outweighed the great fear of meeting someone from the internet. They were usually either too dry or too sexy. I just hadn’t felt enough of a spark to get over the fact that these people could be machete wielding, sex trafficking paedophiles.

I went on the date with said girl. She looked exactly like she did in her pictures and we hit it off. So far I’ve seen no sign of paedophilic tendencies or machetes. We went on a second date – a third is on the cards.

So now we’ve all got over how funny Tinder can be and how many wankers there are, it’s time to start taking Tinder seriously. Tinder is online dating for people who would never online date. It’s taken the stigma out of it. It’s okay now, go have fun.

It’s time to get over the taboo and the fear, expand your comfort zone, go on that date.

Tinder won’t replace your regular love life of pulling that girl from your seminar or getting off with a randomer in a nightclub. Think of it as an addition, a new tool in your box.

If you want to use Tinder effectively I also suggest moving to London. With the chance to match with Francis Boulle from MIC (I swiped right, still no match, but I haven’t given up hope yet), a wider selection of potentials and arguably a higher standard.

The standard is so high, and the choice so great. I’ve started saying “nope” to anyone wearing sunglasses in their profile picture because they’re usually covering up for a reason. Don’t even start me on group photos.

I’m not the only one, a friend of mine struck luck up north, she said: “It was a bit unromantic at first, but he had all the right credentials and a pretty alright face, so the romance subsequently blossomed. I owe Tinder for finishing my sexless streak.”

I’ve heard bad stories as well of girls getting stood up or people being unrecognisable from their heavily instagrammed pictures. But if you’re having a dry spell or you’ve been unlucky in love lately, take the plunge.

Tinder’s slogan is: “Tinder is how people meet. It’s like real life, but better.” Tinder, I agree.