Tinder sucks. Delete it now. Here’s why:
I’ve heard the "I just downloaded it for fun" excuse before from almost every person who has the app.
Looking at profiles with your friends, rating them and categorizing them into “Yes”' or “No” might sound like a fun video game. It doesn’t feel like real people on the screen.
But remember, those same people are sitting with their friends and doing the exact same thing to your profile — and you deserve more than to be treated like a video game.
Because I’m a super smart psychology student who just made a giant Quizlet, comparing Tinder's hot-or-not swiping to Pavlov’s theory of classical conditioning might help us make sense of this modern phenomenon.
A Russian psychologist named Ivan Pavlov had dogs who would salivate when they smelled food. Pavlov realized if he rang a bell and then brought food to the dogs, it would result in them associating the bell with food. Eventually, the dogs would salivate simply at the sound of the bell without any food, because they were conditioned to do so.
Just like Pavlov's dogs, by using Tinder, you're conditioning yourself to associate someone’s five photos, quirky bio and top Spotify listens with their validity as a person. With every single swipe you make, you’re reinforcing the idea that people are a pass or a fail.
When you look up from your screen, your brain will treat life like Tinder. That’s not fun.
Dating is supposed to be annoying, difficult and stressful, because real people are, too. But hiding within that giant mess are moments that make it entirely worth it.
