Tinder 101

As frequent users of technology many of us often find ourselves mindlessly navigating through endless content on social media. The same can be said when looking at our dating lives as they have been modernized through dating apps such as Tinder. When swiping through potential mates we often do not recognize the carefully thought out elements that shape the app itself.

To sign up for Tinder it is crucial to either have a phone number or a Facebook page to link it to which ensures you are a real person (unfortunately, fake accounts still get created). After this simple step, the Tinder world becomes your oyster.

How does the app work?

First is the main swiping screen where you see other's profiles and swipe left or right on matches Here you can also super-like, boost your profile for added exposure, and rewind on the one that got away. It should be noted that these additional features are how Tinder goes about their revenue generation, alongside their controversial and valuable selling of personal data to advertisers (Light, Burgess, & Duguay, 2016). Next is the in-app chat page where you see your matches and are able to connect with them. Last comes the profile and settings page, where you can choose pictures to add, set your location range, the gender you're interested in, and make an interesting bio. These are all things that directly affect who you match with. For example, Tinder actually recently searched through profiles at the television related words that people put in their bios and found the most popular were Friends-related (Fitzgerald, 2018). Therefore, putting a Friends quote in your bio would make it more likely that you will match with someone who will then message you to bond over your similar interest. This is also a place where you can connect your Instagram and your Spotify.

And it's as simple as that - Happy swiping!