To swipe or not to swipe: Students’ dating app stories

By Danna Bertel and Luqman Gbenro

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and it seems Cupid has swapped out his arrows for swipes. Many singles today turn to dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble for the sake of convenience.

Jennifer Griggs,  junior communication major, met her current boyfriend on Tinder. The two matched not expecting things to last long. However, they were both happily surprised to be proven wrong.

“I can kind of just say it was luck in a way. I didn’t go on Tinder expecting to get into a relationship. To be honest, I didn’t really even want a relationship. But when you’re not looking for it, it happens,” Griggs said.

Still, people wonder if computer love is worth the bugs that come with it.

At first, Griggs didn’t think of dating apps as a good way to find a relationship. Griggs logged on out of boredom and interacted with all kinds of people just to see what was out there.

“My friends had been on [Tinder] as a joke in a sense, so I didn’t think of it as a good way to meet people,” Griggs said. “You get to talking and then sometimes people are there as a joke or just to hook up and they don’t really want a relationship, but then you get guys who are really genuine.”

Other students like Jake Steffanski, freshman business major, have had a different experience with dating apps.

“One time I hit up a girl and she matched with me, and she said she liked how much money I had and not about my personality or anything,” he said. “Don’t go on dating apps unless you’re like 6’5. It’s just a lot of hurt feelings besides that.”

Deciding to give dating apps a chance, Viandra Robinson, sophomore psychology major, went on Bumble not having dated anyone before. Robinson went on a date with someone she met through the app.

“It was fun, went to the movies two times. I met his parents while I was dropping him home and they invited me to come inside and I stayed until 10 p.m. and we never spoke again,” Robinson said.

Dating is not always the end goal, as other students use dating apps to build connections with other people.

Kamil Rodriguez, sophomore business major, has had good experiences with dating apps.

“I’ve never had a bad experience. I think if used responsibly, if you are an outgoing person, you can definitely meet some cool people, friends and maybe even business connections,” Rodriguez said.