Why Tinder is just plain creepy

It’s the mobile app that’s revolutionised the world of online dating. I’m sure we all know how it works by now: you scroll through pictures of people living in your area, swiping to the right if you like them and to the left if not. If you both like each other, Tinder sets up a conversation for the two of you to chat.

You automatically get rid of the potential awkwardness that could arise from any unrequited attraction because you know you’ve already given each other the thumbs up. It is for this reason that the app has been more popular than alternative cyber-dating and in May, it reached 50 million matches.

The sort of person you’ll find on Tinder

I can definitely see the attraction, but there seems to be something a bit odd about the whole concept.  Call me old-fashioned, but I still think it’s creepy to be talking to people you haven’t met. Tinder tries to get around this by matching you to people in your area and allowing you to see if you have mutual friends on Facebook. But, despite this, the fact remains that you’re disconnected and you never really know who’s on the other end of the screen.

Aside from the security aspect, the app effectively comes down to rating people entirely on their looks. Now of course I’m not naïve enough to think that looks aren’t important, but I’d hope that you’d base a relationship on more than just physical attraction. And, anyway, nobody ever really looks as good as they do in their Facebook profile picture.

Classy bloke here

By the same token, it’s inevitable that the app is just encouraging vanity. People want to see how many matches they get, but it seems like it’s being used to gauge your own level of attractiveness. If I’m honest, the whole idea of having someone rate me so casually is horrible. I wouldn’t want to put myself in the position to be judged, letting people affirm or crush my confidence in the swipe of a finger.

Lastly, other people can see you’re on it. Only the other day was I having coffee with a friend who told me she had a match on tinder with someone I was a mutual friend with – who turned out to have a girlfriend. It seems that the speed and availability of the Internet doesn’t leave people chance to think about the consequences; and even if you are single, doesn’t it just look a bit desperate?

Observe a moron

I know my friends who are on Tinder see it as a harmless bit of fun, but I can’t help but worry that we’re unknowingly contributing to the creation of a superficial and narcissistic society. I’m not a feminist and I’m not overly opinionated about these things, but I’ve never used Tinder and I never will.

Photos: ‘Tinder’s Biggest Wankers’ Facebook page.