Carly Risom
Reporter
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t have an iPhone. I have a BlackBerry Curve. Instead of feeling like Blair Waldorf, however, I feel depleted of all the relevant social media apps. Thankfully my contract is up in a few months.
Meanwhile, I’m not so out of it that I don’t know what Tinder is. I was introduced to it about a week and a half ago, and have only seen it in action a few times. I don’t really know why, but every time I get a chance to see it, either a rather heavy or unattractive man shows up, and only one word comes to mind, repulsive. I began to wonder why everyone was talking about how addicting it was. Was it like Twitter addictive or something that usually fades out, like Ferbies? I soon realized that its initial appeal is kind of like watching “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Child.” It makes us feel better about ourselves.
What is so concerning about Tinder is how much it applies to the phrase “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” That phrase, by the way, does not apply to some books read in English. I’m pointing to you, “Lord of the Flies.” Sit down. I thought Bill Golding was going to write about a chubby kid catching a fly. Wrong.
Instead of painstakingly leafing through a 400 page book, Tinder let’s you “heart” or “deny” a person. You can slam that X down harder than the last sticker on your Child Times project. Really hard. Do you have any idea how detrimental that is to someone’s self esteem? It’s not their fault that they took an ugly picture of themselves in Atlantis last spring. Everybody knows that the water in Palm Bach is much more complimentary to one’s skin tone.
Regardless of how easily it can lower someone’s fragile self-esteem, it is pretty sketchy. Living in NC, it’s hard to know what sketchy is, but picture something like the pit at night, except times 40. Anyway, you have no idea where this person is from, or more importantly, what college they went to. Do they have a camo Otter Box phone case? Are they from the East or West Coast? Are they even from America? Anybody can sit behind a phone screen. Get ready to chat your killer, or worse, A.
To Tinder or not to Tinder? That is the question. I don’t have one. I almost downloaded it on my iPad Mini, but then I was too embarrassed…mainly because I have an iPad Mini. All in all, download this app if you’re looking for a really good way to boost your happiness level, like on Webkinz, or are trying to get your self kidnapped like the girl in “Taken.” Don’t download this app if you want to have a social security number to put on your Common App. After all, their logo is a flame. Do you really want an app to light your fire?
