UMKC senior Lily Tollison smiled as she entered her beehive of prospective lovers, clicking on the little yellow Bumble icon.
Tollison loves meeting new people and creating new memories. With a large pool of dating apps today, she has tried both Tinder and Bumble (the two most popular dating apps for millennials) and prefers Bumble.
“You can choose to only match with people of similar political preferences and hobbies, among many other things,” Tollison said. “This means that I can weed out people who have qualities that are deal-breakers to me.”
This feature, which is only available on Bumble, creates a more serious and direct atmosphere when it comes to dating. It allows you to share more about yourself, which is important as pictures of yourself can only tell so much.
UMKC junior Alison McCombs said that the college culture surrounding dating caused her to be curious and compelled her to install Tinder, which completely changed her life.
“I met my boyfriend of over a year on Tinder, which I definitely did not expect to happen,” McCombs said. “I never actually used it thinking that I would find a boyfriend, mainly just to match with random people and have funny stories to tell others.”
McCombs’ initial low expectations on Tinder are common among most millennials. Dubbed as a hook-up application, Tinder has been notoriously known for one-night stands and friends-with-benefits arrangements. A profile with as little as one photo and an empty bio are some signs a person isn’t using the application to date but for less-serious purposes.
Jana Bauk, another UMKC senior who has used both Tinder and Bumble, prefers Bumble due to her first-hand experience of Tinder horror stories.
“I’ve definitely noticed that guys on Tinder are more sexual and seem to care about physical appearances more,” said Bauk. “I am ultimately looking for someone who I am physically and emotionally attracted to, and therefore, I decided to stick with Bumble due to the requirement of a more substantial bio on there.”
Although mainly used as a dating application, Bumble is far more. With ‘Bumble Date,’ ‘Bumble BFF’ and ‘Bumble Bizz’ options, one can choose if they are looking for a relationship, friendship or a prospective business partner. This helps with the fact that all humans are looking for a connection, regardless of the context.
With hook-up culture common across college campuses, it might be hard for students to find a potential partner. However, it is important to note that love itself is complex, and the complexities of dating apps are understandable.
It is important to be wary of who you are talking to online as catfishing is a trend that is growing in popularity today. Practice safe dating habits such as meeting up in a public place on the first date and keeping the conversation exclusively on the app. Despite the risks that come with dating apps, it is safe to say that making human connections today is much easier because of them.
