For some people, dating apps a great way to meet new people and potentially find love. However, not everyone has a positive experience.
Apps such as Tinder encourage individuals to assess others based purely on superficial grounds.
A couple of pictures curated for the aesthetic enjoyment of others and a tiny bio intended to prove that you’re witty, fun or sufficiently apathetic are all you’re allotted to earn that coveted swipe to the right.
Connections based on such trivial criteria breed a culture that glorifies certain beauty standards. Putting the focus on people’s physical appearances removes a level of empathy from the users. People become just what they look like in their pictures.
For a person of colour, this can lead to a certain “look” being fetishized. Without the face-to-face contact, this can lead to a slew of inappropriate and potentially racist comments.
Apps that boast speedy connections like Tinder do have some merit. It’s true that they can bring people together easily and that, in a sense, dating has become much more streamlined as a result of these applications.
But, the toxicity bred by these apps outweighs any tangible benefit they might offer. Tinder ultimately fosters a culture that encourages people to assess themselves based on aesthetics and their amount of matches—a culture that inevitably leads to an overall lack of confidence and mental well-being.
