I bet many of you have heard of the app or use the app, Tinder. It is the app to use on your quest for love, weather it is platonic or romantic since September, 2012. Tinder is used by people who are interested in meeting love interests, friends, artists and more. Tinder takes the danger out of what your mom always told you not to do, talking to strangers.

Tinder currently has 50 million users, 18 years of age and up. In June of 2016, Tinder banned people who are younger than 18 from using the site. This was an effort to be more responsible with the younger users. Therefore, this app is most common amongst high school seniors and college students.

A common misconception about Tinder is that it is only used for “hook-ups” and “unwanted, explicit photos and pedofiles,” stated by Jazmyn Scott ‘18. However, J.R (anonymous) ‘17 says, “ I use Tinder for meeting new people and for talking to people when I feel lonely. I don’t expect much out of it because I’m not the type to hook up with someone.” So, each match is really what you make of it. As for the pedofiles, you can stop that by going to your settings you can change the age range to something you’re more comfortable with.  Marcus Watson ‘20 says, “Tinder has too many fake profiles.” Since he is 15 years old, he knows a thing or two about fake profiles.

Tinder Social was released in July of 2016. It’s used for groups of friends searching for more friends. The groups must include at least two people (all 18 years old and older). When using Tinder Social all it takes is for one person from each group to swipe right and a group chat is formed. It’s the best way to make new friends, while also involving your old ones.

Tinder has multiple purposes. It can serve as a safe place to interact with strangers. It can also serve as a way to set up the first date with a significant other. Whatever the reason, once you’re 18, Tinder is a great social app to use when you want to meet new people.

Mia Bonds