In today’s climate, love is seemingly hard to come by and healthy relationships are few and far between. This desperation has led many to search for companionship via the internet, rather than the traditional meet cutes we see in movies. App creators and tech moguls have jumped on the opportunity to profit off of society’s loneliness, establishing an entire online market of dating apps for the world’s fleeting singles to try.
With dating apps on the rise, relationships are more accessible than ever, but authentic human relations are lacking. The ability to perfectly curate profiles to present yourself as your best — with your favorite photos and smoothest pick-up lines is a relatively new phenomenon — completely changing the relationship game.
Whether you’re a hater or a proponent, it is undeniable that they have become commonplace in today’s society. Dating apps were not made equal, so take note of users’ expertise, download carefully and swipe away!
5. Match.com
Match.com — the original dating platform and the prototype for all those that followed — was good for its time, but we are no longer living in the 2000s. Since then, it appears that their target audience has remained in that generation of internet users. Unless you’re looking for an older partner, any college students on the prowl should delete and download one of the many other options to search for your possible match.
4. Bumble
My biggest critique of Bumble is the fact that in heterosexual matches, women are required to message first. According to Bumble’s Beehive explainer page, once a heterosexual couple matches, women must send the first message in 24 hours and men have another 24 hours to respond. Same-sex matches have a bit more flexibility, with both individuals having the opportunity to message one another, giving the other 24 hours to respond as well.
Maybe this exposes my narcissistic tendencies, but I have never and will never text a man first. Why pursue when you can be pursued? Bumble’s messaging rule has turned me away from the app, and I assume many others. Props to all the women out there who are confident enough to make the first move, but, Bumble, at least give us the choice.
3. Raya
As a Raya user myself — for only one whole month — I have to say, very reluctantly, that it’s not worth the hype. With a high price tag of $24.99 for the lowest level membership, alongside all the free alternatives, how can we justify paying for the mere chance of finding love? While it rose to fame as a celebrity dating app that requires application processes and user referrals, it has become less and less exclusive over time, likely explaining why many celebrities have deleted their profiles.
In my one month of swiping, I came across Noah Beck, Johnny Orlando and Finn Wolfhard, but alas, was not liked back by any of them. Understandably, I was left with immense disappointment and had to grapple with the reality that my hefty sum of money had gone to waste. Raya is a fun game, but if you are searching for a genuine connection, I recommend looking elsewhere.
2. Tinder
Despite Tinder’s reputation as a hub for casual hookups as opposed to genuine connections, I honestly can’t offer many complaints. As one of the most mainstream dating platforms, it gets the job done — plenty of places for pictures, fun prompts and no restrictions on who can text whom or for how long. If I could change anything, I would lobby for a “who’s liked you” section, rather than just finding out if it’s a mutual match.
Better yet, Tinder’s tiered membership program allows those with deeper pockets to get what they want. Set at a price of $49.99 a month, a Tinder Platinum membership allows users to contact who they want when they want — which in my opinion gives creeps leeway to patrol the app. Users can also be boosted to the top of others’ profiles and send “Super Likes” to express extreme interest.
1. Hinge
Like many Generation Zers, I think Hinge deserves the top-ranked spot. Hinge has an easy-to-use layout, aesthetic profile color schemes and fun prompts and polls for users to experiment with. No limitations on what gender can message the other first put me at ease and the “Standouts” section — showing profiles Hinge thinks you will like the best — never disappoints. My favorite section by far, however, is the “Liked” section — showing users who have liked them first. For users like me with, perhaps self-absorbed qualities, seeing profiles that liked me provides a larger incentive to return the favor. This allows users to engage in conversations with people they may initially swipe no on, diversifying partnerships and increasing app users.
Contact Maisie Zipfel at [email protected].
