In Defense Of Tinder — 12 Reasons The Hookup App Deserves More Credit

I get why Tinder gets a bad rap, but if you fight your way through the relentless army of ghosters, cheaters, and plain old sleazebags, there’s a good chance of finding a kind and honest guy who actually wants to date you. You may wonder what pills I’ve been popping this morning, but hear me out — here’s why Tinder deserves a little more credit:

  1. You meet people you would’ve otherwise never met. Your soulmate is out there somewhere — you just haven’t found him yet. What better way to boost your odds than to chat to and date as many people as you possibly can? I wonder how you could go about doing that when you don’t find yourself running into many cute single eligible bachelors in your day-to-day life. Oh yeah – Tinder. It opens up a whole new dating pool of possibility that you never had access to before. Take advantage of it.
  2. Tinder tells you who’s SINGLE. On a slightly more obvious note, Tinder eliminates anyone who is taken (apart from lying, cheating a-holes). Woohoo! No more chatting to the really hot barman who has a gorgeous girlfriend waiting for him at home. It takes a little of the guesswork out of the process.
  3. It takes away the pressure of walking over to a stranger. If you’re the kind of girl who prefers to wait for a guy to approach you and make the first move, you know that this results in a lot of guys giving you eye contact but not following through due to shyness/no game/not wanting to bother you/fear of rejection. Tinder completely eliminates the fear of trying to chat up an attractive unknown – if someone wants to talk to you, they absolutely will because they have nothing to lose and a babe like you to gain.
  4. It’s not as superficial as it first appears. I refused to get myself on Tinder for a good couple of years much to the disappointment of all my girlfriends, simply because I was strongly opposed to such a vain notion of saying yes or no to people depending on how attractive I found their faces to be. Also, I didn’t fancy being one of those faces to hundreds of guys out there and having them Simon Cowell me based solely on my physical attributes. But while Tinder is initially based on looks, you quickly realise that even if someone is hot as hell, when you have nothing to talk about, it gets boring really fast. It’s a great lesson for all of us.
  5. It’s great if you travel a lot on your own. For all of you free spirits who don’t spend very long in the same city, Tinder is great for meeting new people in general, not just potential romantic partners. Let’s say you move to a new country and don’t know a single soul – there’s never been an easier way to get yourself out there and make a beautiful new circle of friends.
  6. It’s FREE! There are SO many dating sites that you have to throw your hard-earned cash at, when you could be putting that extra $25 a month towards a cute new top so you look fabulous on your Tinder date next Friday night. Since when did we allow our search for love to become a commodity? And anyway, money will never guarantee you a better result – the world is home to plenty of sleazebags with plenty of money.
  7. He’s probably not a psychopath. Knowing that you have mutual friends puts you far more at ease, because it significantly reduces the chances of matching with a loony. There’s no psycho-detector for when you’re walking down the street or raving in the club on Saturday night. Plus, it’s so simple to cease contact with someone in the early stages without feeling too bad about it because you won’t have the added pressure of them standing directly in front of you while you say something along the lines of, “It’s not me, it’s definitely you.”
  8. You have control over penis pictures. As long as you stay on Tinder and don’t cave into his demands for your number after talking to him for all of two minutes, you can be sure your phone will remain genital-free. #winning
  9. It gives funny guys more of a chance. I haven’t told him this yet, but I almost didn’t swipe right for the man who’s my current boyfriend (shh, don’t tell). What did it for me in the end was that he seemed like a genuinely nice guy from his bio and he’d even written something along the lines of, “Not looking for hookups, thanks!” In the moment, that’s why I ultimately said yes. Am I physically attracted to him? Of course. But I find his looks to be one of the least beautiful things about him.
  10. Contrary to what their latest banners say, Tinder allows your personality to shine through. And let’s face it — if he’s kind, generous, funny and smart, do you really give a crap if he’s sporting a six pack or not? I don’t think so.
  11. It’s not ruining dating like we think it is. Most Tinder guys who have genuinely been interested in me have asked for my number within the same day of matching with me. They’ve then called me on the phone (I’d forgotten what it was like to have a guy actually speak to you instead of text) to have a chat, and if we clicked, they’ve arranged to take me on a date within the week. On the whole, my Tinder experience was great. Most guys were lovely. Was I thrown a few curve balls? Yes, but I managed to handle them accordingly and I know you will too. It all comes down to what type of behavior you’re willing to accept. Don’t settle for less than you know you deserve.
  12. Serious relationships happen often. At 26 years old, I’m currently in the longest relationship I’ve ever had with a guy I met on Tinder. My friend matched with her partner on Tinder two years ago and not only have  they been incredibly happy together, last week he proposed! Aside from my own personal experience, I know that this little flame has been responsible for a whole lot of love blossoming all around the world. And who could possibly hate on that? Give it a try — you just might find love.
Shani is a full time writer and GLOW-GETTER currently based wherever she can find a bit of peace and harmony.. Her work has found itself a home on many platforms including The Huffington Post, Thought Catalog, Unwritten, Style Honey, CT Magazine, and All Women Stalk. She's also the author of several books, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Shani is the founder of the #GLOWGETTERTRIBE - check it out and join on her website.

You can also follow her on Instagram @shanijaywriter.
close-link
close-link
close-link
close-link