Trend Feature Final - Mobile dating

            Trent Gallant chuckled with a slight grin on his face as he swiped left on his smart phone. 

            Gallant, an undergraduate of SJSU and part time personal fitness trainer, has found that the app has for the most part enhanced his experiences when using Tinder.

“Personally, it’s worked great for me dude, it’s not as hard as you think,” said Gallant.  “I got it down to a science.”

            He describes the whole experience for the most part convenient and much easier to talk to other girls without having to break the barrier of approaching them and breaking the ice.

            Most people of the younger generation are familiar with the term of “swiping left,” basically translating to a “no thanks”.  This term is derived from the dating app Tinder and has been downloaded by over 100 million users.

            Tinder started in 2012 and is known by many from its innovative swipe feature.  Tinder is a location-based social app that allows users to like (swipe right) or dislike (swipe left) other users.  This gives them the option to chat if both parties had swiped right resulting in a match. 

            In the journal, “Privacy Risks in Mobile Dating Apps” by Jody Farnden, it goes further in-depth of its location-based features due to GeoSocial Networking (GSN).

The information available to users are based on pictures, written bios, as well as links from their Instagram and Spotify profiles.  Another option is Tinder Gold, which is a monthly payment plan giving access to certain perks to gain upper advantages when using it.

Normally, Tinder users have a limited number of swipes they go through before prohibiting the user until 12 hours later.  With Tinder Gold it eliminates that, giving the user unlimited swipes.

Paying for Tinder Gold will also give the user the perk of seeing others who have swiped right on their profile, rather than seeping and swiping through the list of other users on top of unlimited swipes.

“Dude, you should honestly try Tinder with the Gold membership, it’s worth it,” said Gallant.  “I’ve easily tripled the matches I got instead if were still sticking with the free trail.  It’s around $15 a month, but the outcome is not bad as you think it is, at least for me.” 

            Tinder and numerous smart phone dating apps have shifted the paradigm of how we can approach and handle interactions in dating.

            But this raises the question, does mobile dating enhance or worsen the way we engage in our courtships, and what types of experiences has it brought since its release?

            Although this is apparent to some, not everyone shares this view about the dating app.

            Kamran Refai, a recent graduate of SJSU who spends a majority of his nights on games like Fortnight and sites like Pornhub, claims that he is well informed about these apps being a first-hand user.

 “While Tinder is a great way to mingle and make friends, it has transcended into an app made for one-night stands.  While that sounds nice it gives these girls an outlet to thot out,” said Refai.

            Refai described one of the many Tinder dating experiences with slight disdain.

            “I matched with a girl one night and we agreed to meet the next night. I expected to pick her brains out and actually try to meet the potential love of my life, but it turns out that all she wanted me for was my body. I was unfulfilled at the end of the day to say the least, but I can definitely say it was an interesting experience,” said Refai.

            It is apparent that fulfillment is something to each of their own. The experiences will seem to vary based on the person and their morals that they personally hold.

            Sometimes there comes a point where those experiences can turn out just plain weird, drawing a line between it neither being taken well or hated.

            “I’ve agreed to meet with this girl at the local BJ’s restaurant and bar, little did I know, she lied about her age and was 10 years older than she claimed,” said Gallant.  “Upon entering the restaurant and being greeted by the server, I met with the date constantly question and was puzzled by her demeanor. This lady was more intoxicated than I’ve expected dude. She attempted to woo me, but she seemed way too out of it; ultimately ruining the night for me.”

            This being one of many Tinder dates from Gallant still does not deter him from to opting out of Tinder, as he understands this is all a part of the experience.  At the same time it can be humorous to look back on.

            Rigo Perez, a professional landscaper who also spends his spare time on graphic design and gaming, shares that his weirdest experience occurred within a month of starting on Tinder.

            “I guess this would be second date, but I matched up with this chick that wanted to meet the coming Friday, so I agreed,” said Perez.  “We meet at Century Theatres and watched 21 Jump Street.  What was off is that she kept making weird noises throughout the movie, like short bursts of sounds that sounded like a goat. Dude that was an instant red flag, so I left as soon as the movie ended.  The whole time I felt pretty uncomfortable.”

            Movies are one of a handful of popular hotspot choices to go on dates, but it can often be a cliché especially if the showing is a romantic comedy.

            Considering the interviewees are all residents of the Bay Area, there are numerous opportunities to make that first impression when considering the location of where to meet or take their date.

            Yujiro Kitagawa, a current student of SJSU and part-time body builder, emphasizes to carefully decide on his place of interest when meeting his matches from Tinder.

            “To make things interesting for my match as well as me, I try my best to pick out a place I haven’t been before,” said Kitagawa.  “Making it a new place for me and the match makes it more exciting and a more likely a good chance she can appreciate my efforts for trying.”

Kitagawa states he has discover over five new spots around the Bay Area from these dates.

“I remember one of my dates said she loved animals, so I took initiative to search for good option,” said Kitagawa.  “I didn’t want to shell out too much money on the second date and didn’t want to choose the zoo, so I found there was small petting zoo that popped up in Palo Alto.  She enjoyed the baby goats the most man.  This was one of my more better dates for sure.”

            Animals like relationships, indeed share that common ground of both requiring a steady financial income to maintain a healthy standard.  

            Perez, being a strong willed full-time worker, vouches this by elaborating how the financial spendings of dating and relationships play in his life.

            “I’ve had my license for landscaping for about four years now and it’s pretty cool,” said Perez.  “I’ve been getting an above minimum wage income, so it allows me to get cooler stuff here and there; the job isn’t that bad too.”

            Perez emphasizes his spending’s are self-controlled and considers himself to be a frugal spender, especially in dates.

            “Call it cliché dude but I’m that guy to open the door and pay on the first date, except putting my jacket on a puddle for her to cross over,” said Perez. “But really, I’ll shell out like at least 20 to 30 dollars on the first few dates, but if things get serious, that amount can double or triple depending the occasion.”

            Most Tinder dates can usually end on the first, but overall can vary depending on the chemistry between the users.

            The interviewee’s opened as the questions progressed as they shared more of their resentful actions made on Tinder.

            The journal, “Simply more than swiping left: A critical analysis of toxic masculine performances on Tinder Nightmares” by Aaron Hess, it explains these resentful actions made through male users towards other female Tinder users through a toxic masculinity complex.

This is very common among Tinder and most of the interviewee’s admittedly claim that they have done this before.

            Akash Mangalore, a current full time medical researcher, shares his experience on toxic actions he has made on the app.

            “I don’t really do this except when I’m moderately buzzed or piss drunk,” said Mangalore.  “But I remember this time where the conversation with this girl was going pretty alright.  But only until she mentioned that she couldn't meet with me because apparently, I wasn’t that religious. I told her to along the lines to open a match.com account and told her she’d have better luck there. On top of that I sent her a pic of some poop, but at that point I didn’t really care.”

            Mangalore continued to justify his actions, describing how many of the women on Tinder engage other male users in a game to test them of their character.

            “So the thing is, the dating game has changed,” said Mangalore.  “Back in the day giving attention to a girl would usually work, but because of social media they now have that platform for attention.   So now they have to use a lot more subtle text to engage other guys’ interest level.”

            Mangalore’s feelings on the change were very nonchalant.

            He suggested the key aspect to engage girls on Tinder were to simply observe them from a detached point of view and to not make it a primary obligation.

            Although dating for some the apps users may feel this way, there are others that can go about it in many other ways.

            The experiences regardless are still different from one user to another.

            But from what was overall said from the interviewee’s, it is safe to recommend the app and even its paid subscription to anyone who is looking to socialize and meet new companionships.

            To quote from author Carole Marsh, “Dating is meant to be temporary. You don't want to be friends with just one person. You don't want to learn only one person's interests, ways, or habits. You don't want to discover how you react to just one person. Dating one person is like trying one new food. Pizza's great, but if you never tried anything else, you'd never know how super hamburgers and hot dogs and tacos and chop suey are.”

If you are a strong believer when it comes to opening up to first time experiences and have not given Tinder a go, now’s your chance!

            Learning things first hand can truly be a rewarding way of learning and can open new doors to opportunities.