Online dating has been around for years, but a recent development has extended the joys of virtual dating with more casual intent to younger generations.
I’m talking about Tinder, an app based purely off of physical attraction and cliche ice breakers. There is no question that humanity continues to become increasingly forward-thinking, particularly in regards to love. Sure, there are plenty of cultures and realms that are not so progressive, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll direct our attention to the Western world.
We consider ourselves lucky that we no longer have to live in a time when divorce is not possible, and girls are forced to be wed at the age of 13 or otherwise sent off to the nunnery. We reside in a culture of ultra-feminism, with men and women — whether hetero or homosexual — arguably having the potential for equal power and say in a relationship.
Society has come a long way in its dealings with cupid’s domain from the times of harems, arranged marriages and prolonged courtship.
My friends and I have contests sometimes to find the most disturbing Tinder prospects, and oftentimes “swipe right” — meaning you willingly open your messaging doors to them should they swipe right as well — purely for entertainment purposes.
Most times, these disturbing individuals consist of Tinders looking for one thing, and I’m sure you know what that is. It’s rare that you come across a Tinder who is strictly looking for a potential future spouse. And some of what they have to say
is baffling.
One of the most disturbing discoveries I have made is the number of Tinders actively swiping who have girlfriends. Um, what? I recently confronted one of such Tinders, who happens to be a friend of mine. His response: “It’s just for fun, Tinder is so funny.”
Yeah, I’m sure your girlfriend would think it’s totally funny that you have a dating app literally created to make it easy for people to have casual, no strings attached flings. This shocking realization got me thinking. Pondering the number of celebrities that get married and then divorced these days like they’re exchanging a pair of pants began to shape my rather negative outlook on what seems to be the new standard for relationships, love and commitment.
In reality, is it truly all that positive that it is so easy to get divorced nowadays? What ever happened to “‘til death do us part?” Not to mention the poor offspring thrown in to the mix, forever tied to the burden of having to grow up with the ensuing psychological issues stemming from a broken family.
Don’t get me wrong, Tinder can be a great resource. Especially at SMU, it’s a great way to realize that there are many other people outside our bubble. And I know I get ahead of myself bringing up marriage and divorce, but the sorts of interactions on Tinder set the stage for what’s to be expected further down the road.
Social media apps have made it all too easy for the unfaithful-prone to keep secrets and maintain casual relationships on the side. This has seriously tarnished my faith in the existence of true and long lasting relationships; there must be some out there, but odds are you’re not going to find it on Tinder.
For all of you out there who have indeed found true love on Tinder, kudos and let’s hope you did your background check.
Stefan is a senior majoring in journalism.
