Online dating is no new phenomenon. It’s hailed as the modern solution to modern dating. Though with social media controlling our everyday lives more and more, it’s high time we question whether Hinge is as necessary as we make it. The constant dopamine hits and crashes that social media gives are convincing us that swiping is an acceptable substitute for real interactions. But when did we, as students, start believing that flirting, wooing, and dating was best done from behind a screen? I’d argue, as twenty-something year-olds, or even as young as freshly 18, we are not the original target audience. While long days in lab coats or the library are certainly gruelling, the student lifestyle is one that is most accommodating to meeting people naturally. If we can find friends in the wild, is it crazy to think we can find romance too? With thousands of young people in the mile-radius around campus, I guarantee that there are people looking for the same thing as you.
Social media has us scared. Rejection is never fun and the fear of it is amplified when everything is surveilled. We’ve been fooled into thinking rejection is something to be ashamed of and should be avoided at all costs. I think we all need a little ‘rejection therapy’ in our lives to build back our confidence. Besides, unlike Hinge, in real life there are many steps before clearly announcing your interest in someone. Start with “hello,” and your efforts will be reciprocated far more than you realise.
Of course Hinge has its benefits—it’s not always so straightforward in real-life. Though just as Hinge doesn’t promise a 100 per cent success rate, real-life won’t either. Swiping is easy and I’m not here to preach only using dating apps as a last resort, but rather, as a student, don’t let it be your only way to seek out romance.
Speaking to different people who are seeking out different things, be that the love of their lives or a casual fling, majority have found themselves in the never ending swiping cycle. It gets to a point where you’re not even looking at the meticulously crafted profiles and prompts and are blindly rejecting people because of how fast you’re tapping. So if as a Hinge user you’re already facing such rejection dictated by an algorithm, is there any real loss in complimenting a stranger at the bar? It’s not like they can take a screenshot of your age, occupation, and politics all at once. Through real-life interactions we can take control back of who we are and how people see us. Ironic, when that’s what your profile should be offering, but instead it flattens you into a caricature of yourself on someone’s feed.
Success through Hinge is possible and can still be worth all the swiping, but maybe all our efforts shouldn’t be online-only. Divert your attention back to that person on the bus, or ask your friend to set you up. Most importantly, do not stop seeking out real-life human connection.
Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash
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Does it have to hinge on Hinge?
Online dating is no new phenomenon. It’s hailed as the modern solution to modern dating. Though with social media controlling our everyday lives more and more, it’s high time we question whether Hinge is as necessary as we make it. The constant dopamine hits and crashes that social media gives are convincing us that swiping is an acceptable substitute for real interactions. But when did we, as students, start believing that flirting, wooing, and dating was best done from behind a screen? I’d argue, as twenty-something year-olds, or even as young as freshly 18, we are not the original target audience. While long days in lab coats or the library are certainly gruelling, the student lifestyle is one that is most accommodating to meeting people naturally. If we can find friends in the wild, is it crazy to think we can find romance too? With thousands of young people in the mile-radius around campus, I guarantee that there are people looking for the same thing as you.
Social media has us scared. Rejection is never fun and the fear of it is amplified when everything is surveilled. We’ve been fooled into thinking rejection is something to be ashamed of and should be avoided at all costs. I think we all need a little ‘rejection therapy’ in our lives to build back our confidence. Besides, unlike Hinge, in real life there are many steps before clearly announcing your interest in someone. Start with “hello,” and your efforts will be reciprocated far more than you realise.
Of course Hinge has its benefits—it’s not always so straightforward in real-life. Though just as Hinge doesn’t promise a 100 per cent success rate, real-life won’t either. Swiping is easy and I’m not here to preach only using dating apps as a last resort, but rather, as a student, don’t let it be your only way to seek out romance.
Speaking to different people who are seeking out different things, be that the love of their lives or a casual fling, majority have found themselves in the never ending swiping cycle. It gets to a point where you’re not even looking at the meticulously crafted profiles and prompts and are blindly rejecting people because of how fast you’re tapping. So if as a Hinge user you’re already facing such rejection dictated by an algorithm, is there any real loss in complimenting a stranger at the bar? It’s not like they can take a screenshot of your age, occupation, and politics all at once. Through real-life interactions we can take control back of who we are and how people see us. Ironic, when that’s what your profile should be offering, but instead it flattens you into a caricature of yourself on someone’s feed.
Success through Hinge is possible and can still be worth all the swiping, but maybe all our efforts shouldn’t be online-only. Divert your attention back to that person on the bus, or ask your friend to set you up. Most importantly, do not stop seeking out real-life human connection.
A “true French experience”, but at what cost?
Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash
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