“Decide that you want it, more than you are afraid of it.”

The dating app that has taken over the world.

Tinder, like marmite, is one of those things- you either love it, or you hate it. I think this is largely due to its false reputation of being a ‘hook up’ app, sure some people use it for that, and that’s their prerogative, but for those hopeless romantics, there is, contrary to popular belief, hope. I actually know many people who use tinder to find real connections with people, and I know at least 2 couples whose stories begin with, “we met on Tinder.”

Tinder is a great first step into the online dating world and for those of you seriously against online dating, Tinder technically isn’t- it’s viewed as more of a social networking app. In the technology-dependent world we now live in, it can bridge the gap between bashfulness and boldness. Not only does it present the available options to you clearly, quickly and easily, it can also point you in the direction of someone you might have missed. Behind the safety of the screen, Tinder also gives you the confidence to strike up a conversation with someone you wouldn’t normally have the courage to, and once that first point of contact has been made, a face to face conversation will likely follow- leaving you to embark on that rom-com style ‘meet cute’, that- if you’re anything like me- are reluctant to give up on.

Learning the lingo

– It’s free, and all you have to do is download the app. If you have a Facebook profile, Facebook will do all the profile set up for you, if not, just add your name, age, a short piece of information about yourself, and a couple of photos and you’re ready to swipe to the right guy.

– Once you’ve set your age range preferences and the search distance, Tinder will show you pictures of the people near you, if you aren’t interested, swipe left (or press the X) and if you are swipe right. (or press the ♥)

– If you’re not quite sure about someone and want more information, simply click on their picture and some info about them and more pictures will pop up, helping you make a decision.

– If someone has liked you (swiped right on you) too, Tinder will let you know you have a match and in your match section, you can now talk to those people.

– If you are looking for real connections, avoid the obvious ‘dick pics’, and people that use the words: Tinderfella, Tinderella, Hook up, fun, FWB (Friends With Benefits). Also be wary of meeting people for late drinks, or who are currently out with friends, or who invite you to their house because this, no doubt, is probably a code for ‘let’s have sex’.

Tinder is the perfect balance between moving with the technological world and sticking to the old school ways of communication and meetups.

I signed up yesterday!

Catch ya later,

Ren.