By Mike Cook | 7 November 2016
The ill-fated Tinderella storyOPINION - The vibrative Tinder alert hits the phone in my back pocket like a public dry-hump; somebody deemed my profile worthy of a right swipe. Upon opening the app, I find a selection of otherwise innocent emoticons strung together in a lewd message suggesting an intimate meeting. Grimacing, and fearing for the state of humanity, I close my phone and return it to my pocket. Ten minutes later, it vibrates again.
Since its inception in 2013, the popular dating app has garnered diverse reactions. While some herald it as a revolution to dating – a Tinderella story, if you will – others deem it a travesty, an app that whittles dating to a superficial construct and nothing more. In my opinion, the Tinder world is a Darwinian dystopia where only the strongest and most attractive survive. As was the case of Warriena Wright. Using the app in 2014 resulted in Wright’s fatal plunge from a high-rise balcony. Two years and one charge of murder later, Gable Tostee, the man with whom Wright spent her final night, has been found not guilty. Yet, despite the grisly end to a Tinder date, studies show the dating app is still on the rise. In three years, the number of users aged 18-24 has risen from five to 22 per cent. Even more ghastly is the presence of 42 per cent of users who already admit to having a partner. The app functions on a simple premise: when shown a person’s profile, you swipe right if you approve, left if you do not. If you both swipe right, you’ve found your match. Yet, irrespective of any provocative puns and quirky quotes that may fill a profile, a study revealed the majority of users base their selection on a person’s images. An entire generation is being raised on this notion that beauty is the key to success; apps like Tinder at their fingertips. It’s not hard to see the poor self-esteem issues on the horizon. It’s not happily ever after for those who match with another either. A European study proved there was a disconnect between women and their male counterparts. While women engaged in conversation seeking friendship, men had one thing on their brain: sex. And once the guys got what they were after – a one-night-stand roll-in-the-hay between yellowed sheets at the motel down the road – women were tossed aside like the previous night’s used condom. It’s the grim reality of mobile dating applications. An era of social media superficiality dwindles personality to an added bonus and aesthetics become paramount. In a world where a person has one shot to impress potential suitors, the lesson is: if at first you don’t succeed, swipe and swipe again. |