I don't think I am quite 'there' when it comes to having a relationship but I am willing to try and dip my toes in the water. The modern internet dating world is a complete unknown to me and I feel bewildered at the prospect of it.
But on a night out with a couple of the girls I was persuaded to download the most ubiquitous of dating apps....Tinder.
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So for the uninitiated here is a quick run down of what it's all about:
1. You connect through your Facebook account (it doesn't post to Facebook, but if you don't have a Facebook account, no Tinder for you)
2. You say what aged men you're looking for and you set the radius that you're interested in looking in.
3. You get swiping!
4. A picture of a boy comes up - you like it you swipe right, you don't like it you swipe left
5. If you're not so sure you can tap on their picture and look at some other pictures they have uploaded (max. of 6) and also see if they have written a description (500 characters max.)
6. If you swipe left and reject them you'll never see them again
7. If you swipe right and it turns out that they've also swiped right on your picture then you get this message...
8. And you're free to start messaging that person.
9. You decide you don't like them after all, you can un-match from them and can also block people who you feel have been inappropriate.
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Let's all face it. This is not the app were you are likely to meet your future husband. But there's no pretence about it - it is based on looks only, that's why your picture comes up first and you are not required to put any information about yourself. And like the picture above says - it's a game.
And it really is a game. And it's also oddly addictive. It became something that I was just doing when I was bored and watching TV. Swipe, swipe, swipe, judge, judge, judge.
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As a first step into internet dating it's actually great. The rejection aspect of it is minimal/non-existent - if people aren't interested in you, you'll never know about it because they just won't appear in your feed. You probably swipe right to loads of people that don't ever swipe right to you but you can't remember them because you have been swiping so. many. people. that they all blur into one.
And when you match with someone it's the best ego boost ever ("I am fanciable! Someone does like me!") and it is like winning. I described it as similar to winning on a slot machine, but without coins falling everywhere.
Even better than all of this though and the potential of finding a nice guy there is the chance to find some absolute gems from the guys out there.
For instance...
Check it out. This guy dislikes "Inappropriate use of grammar " and likes "Tattoo's"
*sigh*
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Or this little gem...
Excuse me whilst I heave.
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It also important to go back to your profile after you've set it up and check the photos that it has pulled through from Facebook. It will automatically pull through your first few profile pictures. Which is great, as long as you remember what your profile pictures have been in the past.
For instance...
You on your wedding day. Lovely.
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People will use their 500 characters in a myriad of ways. Some guys will be pretty open about the fact that they are looking for love. Some will be pretty open that they're looking for fun. Some will come laden with their own baggage, like this guy...
Nice.
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The best thing about Tinder?
I think it's going to provide me with a lot more blog fodder in the future...
Wonder what would happen if it pulled through my FB profile pic- it's currently me, quite drunk, hugging Paddington Bear at Paddington Station.....
ReplyDeleteHaving never used Tinder (and I think I'd be a bit lost with the whole internet dating thing too, this is super fascinating, I still want to hear more about the weekend, since you said it was 'nice'!
All in due course. I did say it was going to provide me with good blog fodder! :)
DeleteThis is pretty eye opening, and hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThe photographs on online dating... oh my. When I was a regular on Ok Cupid, the amount of topless muscle men or guys pulling their boxers down to the very top of their pubic bone was innumerable. Like... put it away guys. As I was looking for any gender, it was always interesting to compare and contract the photos of women - occasionally a bit pouty but generally fairly normal - with the ones of men.
ReplyDeleteSo that's how it works! I'd heard of this Tinder but didn't know the details. Sounds like fun, which is exactly what you should having :)
ReplyDeleteAh this is brilliant. What is it with coupled up friends asking about whether I'm on Tinder? Are they basically asking about the state of my sex life? Quite glad I'm not, judging by some of those pictures!
ReplyDeleteI was gonna say 'Tattoo's' sounded ok...then I read that he was a street magician. That has to be a joke right? Tinder sounds like something I wouldn't even want to deal with. Although I'm glad you are for us ;) (says the person who met her partner on POF...)
ReplyDeleteAah it's more that the plural of tattoos is, well, tattoos. No rogue apostrophes needed! Especially considering that he didn't like the inappropriate use of grammar!
DeleteWow. I had no idea how it worked but had heard a lot about the existence of Tinder. Thankfully I don't have a personal FB account. Nor any interest in Internet dating.
ReplyDelete