My Profile Picture on Tinder for a Small While
College hookup culture is weird, sometimes rewarding, and occasionally sketchy. Generally speaking, hookups for single people develop in two primary ways: either through a platform for meeting other single people or through circumstance. In terms of platforms, I speak digitally of apps like Tinder and non-digitally of the bar, club, and party scenes. Of course, a great many people who use these platforms are not looking for prospective romantic escapades. However, a great many also use these platforms in order to have hookups or long-term relationships. And then, there are people like me who unwittingly fall victim to “dating” platforms and/or circumstance. In any case, I will avoid speaking on this topic too specifically, rather opting to speak in broader terms, as this is a vast and personal subject.
Since move-in day of college, I developed a number of casual relationships with people I knew circumstantially. Whether these were people from my hall or a shared class or whatever else is of no real importance. Instead, what is important is that I had non-committal relations with people whom I could not avoid once one of us had chosen to discontinue the relations. I did not realize the degree of obsession that was brought out in some people with whom I stopped hooking up. While in certain cases, casual relationships ended calmly, I have had my fair share of being yelled at and pleaded with by past partners. The valuable lesson I took out of these experiences was that if I did not see potential for transforming a non-committed relationship into a committed one, then I should not have entered the relationship from the start. It appeared that most of my hookups were vacuous and led to more awkward headaches then they were worth.
Then there was going to bars, clubs, and parties whereupon many people I know found romantic interests and one-time hookups. Since I can only point to a few occasions of romantic encounters out of personal experience, I instead will explain the experiences of people I know who are more well-versed in this culture. For instance, I have one friend who would bar hop until they found someone who would be interested in a one-night frolic and then would never contact them again. Unlike me, this friend is completely content with this type of love life since they are comfortable in this mode of romance. Still, I have another friend who gave up dating entirely after becoming so disenchanted with the emotional volatility of the relationships he formed with people he met at parties and clubs. It is hard to tell if one should participate in hookup culture, as the results of college hookup culture are often unexpected. Finding out whether hookup culture is worth it often comes down to discovering personal preferences via trial and error.
As for Tinder, I made an account for networking with photographers but soon became interested in its dating potential after finding that Tinder eliminates many of the problems I had with running into spurned lovers and provides clarity as to the motivations of its users. To even use Tinder in the first place is most likely an indication that an individual is seeking a romantic relationship, whether it be serious or not serious. Plus, it was quite easy to manufacture an appealing way of constructing the aesthetic of my Tinder profile and messaging other users. Beyond that, dating through Tinder is pretty similar to other forms of dating, except that Tinder dates are typically being more straightforward than other types. Quite truthfully, after a while, Tinder became vacuous too. After a certain point, I had too many bizarre dates with bizarre people to the point where I wanted something more long-term. That is when I found my girlfriend on Tinder. And I have been happily committed ever since. Funny enough, even though I have discontinued my personal use of Tinder, I advise a good many friends on how to construct stellar Tinder profiles.
By Matthew Evert
Matthew Evert is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English and Philosophy as a sophomore at NYU. Passionate about poetry, people, and adventure, Matthew aspires to live an explorative and artistic life. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC, from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.
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