Swipe NEVER

Whenever I find myself with an extra 90 minutes, I spend it watching “The Last Song” for the tenth time or trying to perfect my penalty kick on the soccer field. But for 50 million people according to Business of Apps — and many of my classmates — this time is spent each day swiping through Tinder, searching to find booty calls or first dates. 

The dating apps may be for adults 18 and up, but that’s not stopping explorative teens to deviate the system. A generation expected to be dependent on Juuling or Red Bull has found a new addiction: Tinder.

Users may say it’s the easiest or fastest way to find a boyfriend or husband, but I don’t see the point of giving up my rom-com fantasy to try and find a relationship with someone I don’t even know. With the news displaying headline after headline of dating-app-related deaths and assaults, I don’t see the problem of being safely single with my Ben and Jerry’s pint of Phish Food Ice Cream.

There’s been mass amounts of sexual assaults, date-rapes and deaths associated with online dating. According to Business of Apps, in 2011, 140 crimes were recorded on dating applications — by 2016, it increased to 676 cases. 106 were sexual crimes and 240 were violent attacks.

On Tinder there is everyone from grown adults with master degrees, to college students, to recent drivers ed graduates.

According to Verywell Family, an estimated 7 percent of Tinder users are between the ages of 13 and 17. At 13, I was still using my Rainbow Loom bracelet maker and maintaining a diet almost completely based on Kraft Mac & Cheese and Mandarin oranges. These kids, though, are connecting with 20-year-old men faster than I can boil water.

Most apps like Tinder, Grindr and Bumble have age restrictions of 18 and up. Even with the restriction, it doesn’t take much effort for teens to appear older than they are.

It’s quite disturbing seeing the girl you sit next to in Financial Literacy displaying herself as a 22-year-old college student. And don’t forget the bio saying “I’m Jesus on the streets and Hell in the sheets.” — of course with multiple heart-eyed emojis following. 

I couldn’t tell you if it’s the instant gratification of receiving creepy compliments from strangers online or the pride of nonrejection for themselves that convinces people a dating app is the better alternative to actually meeting someone, but you can count me out of making a profile online to exploit my love life for millions to see.

Observing the app over my friend’s shoulder, I spotted a profile of an ordinary user — Simon Bournhold, 20. Biology major. Enjoys Chinese food and golden retrievers. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, height 6’1” — less than a mile away. 

A mile away — which could mean we’re neighbors — and could have been a frequent customer to my lemonade and easy bake oven business since the age of 7. 

Swipe left.

As we kept swiping, I realized how unrealistic and dangerous these apps are. Each profile could be completely fake. You don’t know anything about the stranger — yes, even though you looked at their profile for a whole 4.5 seconds. 

These could be 35 year olds swiping right on strangers, telling barely 18 year olds “You’re gorgeous” or “Come over baby.”

There’s no instruction sheet or a step by step process for dating apps. You can only control the danger and take that chance of getting in a dilemma when processing yourself through it.

So when you’re asked on a date to Olive Garden, there’s no way to tell if you will be dining with a father of two or a tween who still rides the bus.

Active users say it’s the developer’s fault, but it’s nobody’s fault but yours when you make the decision to sip a cappuccino with a 25-year-old convicted felon.

I’ve always questioned high school students who have profiles on Tinder. Just yesterday, I saw people in the lunch line giggling to their fake accounts. All under the age of 18.

Maybe some want to create connections with people, but I’ve mostly seen profiles that associate as a joke. But even if they’re not taken seriously, these accounts have serious consequences.

A variety of dating softwares are becoming a lot more accessible in society today with the ability to do so much without leaving your bed. It’s easier nowadays to go on your phone and have websites find your future baby daddy instead of going out in the world and finding it yourself.

Call me old fashionshed all you want, but I prefer meeting my prince charming from mutual friends or at school instead of some app doing it for you.

But for now, I’d rather dream about Liam Hemsworth shirtless on the beach than go on a date with a random stranger because he “super liked” me on some idiotic app.