Find a Date Through Your Phone
Love is now just an app away. Although online dating is quickly becoming the norm, a new development arises in the D.C. dating scene. With the obsession of smartphones comes a new obsession with mobile dating apps such as Grindr, Tinder and Hinge. These apps make finding a date for Friday night easier than ever before.
Grindr
Grindr, known as the gay community hook up app, was launched in 2009 and has become the largest all-male location-based social network. The app is designed as a GPS system to find other users near you that may be interested in hooking up. This app uses a unique system of “tribes” to search for the kind of man that you may be looking for. It is broken down into tribes such as bear, geek and leather. The app also allows users to search by physical characteristics such as height, weight and body type. With just $11.99 per month, you can connect your tribes to your desired physical characteristics to find your perfect man, whether it is for one night or a lifetime.
Tinder
Tinder has been described as the “Grindr for straight people.” As an app for Facebook, Tinder users can connect and view each other’s Facebook profile pictures making the process much faster. Users do not, however, see your entire Facebook profile. Tinder users are presented with photos and they must swipe to the right if they are interested or swipe to the left if not. Each match is described as a “flame” and once you have described this match as desirable, you can message back and forth with your flames to decide if you want to meet up or not. Based mainly on finding a person with whom to hook up, it is not so much of a dating app than it is a sex-seeking app. This popular app is now being used by an unlikely group: college students. Although college students can quickly meet someone on campus, many are turning to Tinder to make this search just a little easier.
Hinge
For those not into meeting up with strangers, but still looking for an app that bases its matches on pure physical characteristics and location, Hinge may be what you have been searching. This D.C. native app is also connected to your Facebook, but out of the three is the most focused on relationship-finding. Hinge profiles use first and last names rather than usernames so people are less likely to lie about themselves.
The most unique feature of Hinge is that matches are never complete strangers. They are always friends of friends. The idea is that your perfect match is only a few mutual friends away. This is great for young professionals who are wary of the online dating scene, but are looking for more than just a hook up. User profiles feature more than just pictures and a tiny bio. Hinge looks deep into your Facebook to provide analysis on the type of person you may be seeking to ensure that matches are aligned with your interests and background. The app has about 30,000 total users with an average age of 27.
These apps are not available through any website. They must be downloaded either through iTunes or Google Play and used through your iPhone or Android. They are making love connections (or at least hook ups) available with just a few taps of your finger. With the apps’ wild popularity, be sure to check them out. You never know, you may end up finding a great guy or girl.
Dating and Relationship blogger, Sara Maldonado is a writer and social media guru currently navigating the sea of men while having an affair with the city of Washington, DC. She enjoys coffee, laughter, and a good hair day.