Madeline Kuhns is a journalism senior and Mustang News opinion columnist. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.

As a freshman at Cal Poly, getting on dating apps seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to meet some new hotties around campus. With Week of Welcome forming new couples and thousands of people you’ve never met, the pressure to start flirting can feel intense. 

Although you, too, may have a next-door neighbor in the Red Bricks with a cute smile who is awfully nice about helping you hang posters up, there may be a desire to explore your options. Going into your App Store, your thumb inches toward the glowing pink square. You are about to download the real-life version of smash or pass: Tinder.

But before you download it, I urge you to ask yourself some questions:

  1. Why are you going on dating apps? 
  2. What do you want to get out of the apps? 
  3. Are you okay with seeing people you know and them seeing you? 

Dating apps take a lot of courage to fully follow through on. While texting strangers online isn’t a big commitment, meeting up with them isn’t usually the advice your parents give you. 

In a survey done by the Pew Research Center, one in three U.S. adults reported using a dating app. Everyone on campus seems to be on it, so you ask yourself, why not me? 

The Pros and Cons of Dating Apps

Let’s open up a debate about the pros and cons of being on the apps:

The Pros:

  • Different ages, different people. Maybe you don’t have a lot of second and third years in your classes. If you’re comfortable dating older, bring up that age range, baby. 
  • Gaining sexual freedom: the reality is, the majority of the people using apps like Tinder are looking for casual, low-stakes situations. If little commitment and a good time are what you want, look no further.
  • Validation: Booyah! That cute guy from your class liked you! It feels good to know he might fancy you.
  • Make it fun: Tinder now offers a double date feature, allowing friends to create a group profile. Users can swipe together to look for other single besties. 
  • Put yourself out there! If you’ve never gone on a date before college, dating apps are a great way to get experience. 

The Cons:

  • Is this guy really twenty? That goatee is giving somebody’s father. There’s no guarantee that people are truly who they say they are. 
  • Oh my god. I totally matched with that chick on Tinder. Does she recognize me? Knowing you’ve met someone on Tinder before you’ve ever talked in person can be daunting.  
  • Smaller dating pool for LGBTQ+: If you are a part of the LGBTQ community, some college campuses like Cal Poly do not have a large sum of swipers. 
  • So… what’s your major? Do you wanna take your top off? You might have just physical connections with some of the people you meet. 
  • “You’ve Run Out of Matches.” Dating apps can be addicting and objectifying to people. You run the risk of spending all your time waiting for your swipes to reset or spending precious college dollars on Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold or Tinder Platinum. 
  • Additionally, 56% of women under 50 say they have been sent an explicit message they didn’t ask for over the apps, and 43% have had to tell men they are not interested multiple times. 

The Unfortunate Truth

While it might feel like you are putting yourself out there, dating apps might be giving you TOO many options. Is there a chance they could be distracting us from real, lasting connection? 

To note, I’ll admit I have met a couple of friends through dating apps; they aren’t all useless. If you are swiping on the right people, there is still hope from the apps. I’ll also admit I love to match with people I know. 

In my experience, romantic connections made through mutual friends and classes are more fleeting and intense. My fondest connections came from the times when I’ve done the least amount of searching and opened my eyes to connections right in front of me. Let love be unexpected to you. 

By contrast, the constant swiping and liking give users a great dopamine rush, from the addictive programming of dating apps. We get into a cycle of liking new people, matching, maybe chatting for a bit and then going back to swiping. People begin to tire of meeting up with those of different intentions or maybe wish people were as bold in person as they were on the apps.  

Connections can often feel artificial through the apps, as it is harder to get to know people without an emotional connection.  That fourth year you fell head over heels for seems sweet but only invites you over after midnight. The girl you went on a date with says she’s gay but isn’t ready to date a woman. 

So maybe we should just do it (wink wink) the old-fashioned way. Ask the person across from you to join you for a study session. Go on a blind date with your roommate’s boyfriend’s friend. Tell that girl at the bar she has really beautiful eyes.