Tinder is a dating app for the iPhone that has become very popular since its launch.  It is an unusual dating app because it  appeals to everyone—men and women, homosexuals and heterosexuals. It was introduced first on college campuses in California in September 2012 and expanded to other college campuses from there. It taps into the most superficial aspect of online dating. It is part of HotOrNot.com, a site that lets people rate strangers’ appearance.

After downloading the app and selecting their gender, location and whether they like men or women (or both), a user swipes through a stack of profile photos (left for “nope” and right for “like”) to approve or reject the faces of people offered up as potential date material. Based on little more than the person’s appearance you can “like” someone. If two users “like” each other, then they can proceed to have an online conversation. Only if two people both “like” each other are they allowed to message, reducing the barrage of messages women often receive on other online dating sites.  People don’t think of Tinder as online dating but as a game.

Tinder gives a person the opportunity to meet and connect with new people.