I told guys on Tinder I had a boyfriend

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I told guys on Tinder I had a boyfriend

Putting morals to the test

Since its launch in 2012, Tinder has gained an infamous reputation. Despite being officially marketed as a ‘dating’ app, Tinder has become synonymous with sleaze. It is seen as a hub for easy hook ups and no-strings-attached sex.

The app’s ‘swipe’ feature has often been criticised as shallow and demeaning. Users say yes or no to profiles based on a few pics and an optional (what they think is a) witty one-line bio.  There have been over 8 billion matches to date according to the company’s Twitter.

However, in many cases people claim these have produced more than just casual sex. Many of us will undoubtedly know friends or family who are in relationships thanks to Tinder. So this led me to question, is Tinder really as sleazy as they say or is it just misunderstood? Could it be true that people were actually looking for more?

One night I decided to put this to the test. I downloaded the app and selected a few sultry selfies for my profile. I declared in my bio that I had a boyfriend and waited to see whether guys would still be interested. I have to admit, after a couple of hours I saw the appeal. The endless swiping was addictive and gratified my inner Regina George – it’s not a bad thing, we all have her. The instant ego-boost from a match is enough to satisfy any validation junkie.

I matched with 332 men in just three days – all without leaving the comfort of my slanket (That’s a blanket with sleeves, for all of you who have your lives together enough not to know what that is.)

I decided a simple match wasn’t enough to condemn the morality of these men. I waited for them to message me and then confirmed my non-single status to assess their intentions.

The responses were mixed. Some had swiped right without reading my bio and were outraged. I was told I was a slag – (at least try to be original with your insults, ey lads?) Others wanted to chat as friends instead. Overwhelmingly though, most of them still wanted to hook up. A few even had girlfriends of their own.

Surveys suggest only half of Tinder uses are single. Shockingly, 12% of people on Tinder are even married (With over 50 million users, that’s around 6 million Tiger Woods!)

But despite some cheesy chat up lines and decidedly iffy profile pics, my experience of Southampton men on Tinder wasn’t all bad. Some guys seem genuinely nice and capable of holding an actual conversation (Gasp!) I even gained an insight into a male perspective of Tinder.

Of course, there are sleazeballs just looking to get into your pants. The easy nature of the app lends itself to lazy lads looking for hit-it-and-quit-it fun. But if you’re willing to sift through the shit it is possible to find Mr Right – or at least Mr Right Now. If nothing else, it gives you the chance to work on your pulling skills so you’re prepared when you meet The One in real life.