Swipe left, swipe right. She's hot, she's not. But even if she isn't hot, he may just keep swiping right as it's just a numbers game when it comes to mobile dating, with Tinder providing the tools to hook up and have sex with multiple partners a day.
In the September issue of Vanity Fair, Nancy Jo Sales wrote an in -depth piece called, Tinder and the Dawn of "Dating Apocalypse." It's an eye-opener and validation of a woman's worst fear. The guys are swiping right to hook up and it's all just a game.
In the story, it's reported that 100 million people are using mobile apps, with about 50 million on Tinder. The Tinder blog reports 25 million matches a day. The numbers are mind-boggling and enormous.
The VF story is really about sex and hookups. Mobile apps just happen to ramp up the numbers in a digital second, and singles in their 20s are buying into the hooking up program, I believe which ruins their chance at romance.
Many women claim they want romance and a long-term relationship, but they seem to feel that sending photos of their private parts and receiving dick photos is a part of the digital courtship process and join the program.
The problem is, some women are hooking up with hopes to change the mindset of the guy they've just slept with. Maybe they'll think of them as marriage or relationship material, or maybe they'll be swiping right while you're putting your clothes back on.
As one who has embraced online dating for over 20 years as an early adopter of Internet dating, and one who coaches and helps singles find serious relationships in the digital age, I have mixed feelings about Tinder. I'm thrilled that it's given credibility to online and mobile dating and gives you a chance to cast a wider net to find a date or a mate.
If you say you're using Tinder to your friends, one may ask you why you're on a hookup app if you're looking for love. But who isn't using Tinder? Celebrities such as Hillary Duff, Katy Perry, and Ed Sheeran on Tinder, with Sheeran receiving the first celebrity verified profile on the mobile app. They join the Tinder bandwagon because they're single and it's easy to use and is fun. After all, after each swipe, you're prompted with a message to "Keep playing?"
So we continue to swipe with the hopes of finding a match worthy of introducing to your friends and family, but weeding out those who want to hookup and those who want love is confusing.
We hope there's truth-in-advertising, but men and women can just say in their profiles that they're looking for a serious relationship, not serial dating. However those same people could be already in a "committed" relationship, while looking for Plan B when the romance starts to fade and the monotony kicks in. Research from Global WebIndex states that 62% of Tinder users are actually in a relationship. So don't be surprised if a friend sees your steady-sweetie's active profile on Tinder.
So is romance dead or alive on your mobile phone? According to the Vanity Fair piece, it's looking grim for 20s in New York who find swiping right to be an efficient and inexpensive way to shag a few girls a day or a week, but I disagree.
I encourage the women who are really looking for a relationship to ignore the "dick pics" and take your time to weed out the creepers who want to choke you within 20 minutes. Think about the approach you took while dating with traditional online dating sites or meeting through friends and combine it with the efficiency of mobile dating apps. Keep your clothes on in your profile photos, state your intentions and swipe left until you find someone worthy of having a chat with. While it's efficient to find someone IRL in seconds, it doesn't mean you have to meet someone immediately or rush into casual sex if it's not your goal.
It takes time to get to know someone, whether you meet in a bar, through friends, or on Tinder. Ask a lot of questions before getting involved. But then again, if you're in it for a night of fun, it's a piece of digital cake to accomplish that.
To the Tinderellas out there, I wish you much love and joy in cyberspace, or wherever you may roam. Xo
Read more to learn how Swiping Right can help you find your dream date.
Julie Spira is America's Top Online Dating and Mobile Dating Expert. She's the founder of CyberDatingExpert.com, and as a Digital Matchmaker she's been helping singles find love online for over 20 years. Follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and sign up for the free Weekly Flirt newsletter.