When it comes to dating, it’s easy for millennials to go on Tinder and swipe left or right on potential partners without uttering a word, instead basing their interest on a few pictures and a short bio.
A small random and unscientific survey of 25 people conducted by the Times found that almost 50 per cent who use the app are looking for casual dating and about 25 per cent are seeking hook-ups.
Some 46 per cent of users find the app hurts their self-image and confidence.
Among those surveyed, roughly 65 per cent still prefer to meet a new partner the good old-fashioned way: face-to-face.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Tinder claims there is an increase in usage of almost eight per cent, according to its 2016 statistics.
But some experiences with the app leave a lot to be desired.
One first-year nursing student, who asked to remain anonymous, has had her fair share of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly with Tinder.
“I was hanging out with a guy and it was going well when he suddenly told me that he deserved to see my boobs,” she said. “I kindly asked him to leave,” said the 22-year-old. “One left in the middle of the night. He left a note on my pillow; I deleted his number.”
The student is apprehensive when meeting up with these strangers. She sets clear ground rules before meeting and doesn’t tolerate any funny business. While she uses the app for casual dating, some of her matches fell too hard and too fast anyway.
“He wanted a relationship and I wasn’t ready for that; I told him that at the beginning,” she said. “He still persisted and I had to break it off. He was nice, but it wasn’t what I signed up for and I didn’t want to lead him on.”
While the highest usage of the app is among those in their early to mid-20s, according to the Times survey, male and female millennials still prefer to find love in the real world, hoping for an interesting meet/cute story as opposed to lying about how they met someone online.