It’s uncommon today to be in the dating scene and not have ventured into the adventurous land of online dating. Each online dating app has a different reputation associated with it, and there is some truth to what people say about them. Two of the most popular dating apps are Bumble and Tinder. While each contributes to online dating “swipe culture”, they give users a different experience and weeding out process.
Bumble
Bumble is popular with women for a particular reason. They have to match with a potential date to open a conversation. And on top of that, women have to be the ones to initiate the conversation on the app. It allows them to be in the dating driver seat. Women don’t have to deal with messages from people they aren’t interested in and can avoid getting their inbox full of messages from guys that they know would be a bad match. In reality, it saves both parties time and energy. The Bumble profile is pretty basic. You have up to three hundred characters to write about yourself, and about a half a dozen pictures where you put your best foot forward. You can also include a mile radius you are interested in keeping your preferences within a specific range. If you’re not willing to drive an hour, the app will consider that. Bumble has a reputation of people going on dates and getting to know one another. Not to say that people don’t use it for a casual hookup, but since women use this app to be a bit more discerning in their taste, they might be looking for a bit more effort than a one-night stand. Girls would also say that guys on Bumble also tend to be a little less creepy.
Tinder
In contrast to Bumble, Tinder has the reputation of being the hook-up app. With plenty of people using the app, you won’t run out of people to swipe through as quickly as you would with Bumble. However, if you are looking for something more serious I would stay away from tinder. Although the pool is bigger, it’s probably not what your relationship seekers will find success with. Like with most dating apps, girls have to put in little to no effort (according to men), and the males in the dating world have expressed frustration with this fact. But they have found more matches than on Bumble, where women apparently are stingier about swiping right for a match. With both apps, you pay absolutely nothing. However, you can open an account if you want to upgrade your options, which supposedly helps you meet more people and have a higher chance of finding the “right” person. Tinder is the most popular dating app in the United States, but you’ll likely get further along in conversation on Bumble. Guys outnumber girls on Tinder 2:1, so you better have a good pickup line or conversation starter. The annoying “Hey” most likely won’t cut it.
There some level of superficiality about these apps. You know very little about a person and are basing your intentions of meeting them in real life over very few words and a physical attraction. It’s not a terrible place to start, but there is a reason that online dating burnout is a real thing and people often find themselves deleting and re-downloading these apps. However, that’s not to say that nobody sees success in these modern love/hook-up matchmakers. People try online dating for different reasons. Whether you’re having a difficult time finding someone in your existing social circle, you lack the confidence to go up to someone in real life, or you just don’t have the time because of existing priorities, online dating can be a good alternative.
Jazmin is an avid supporter of civil rights and is passionate about open discussions
about race, culture and current politics. She was a research assistant and loves the
pursuit of knowledge.