It’s Official: Most People Use Tinder For the Ego Boost
There are manifold ways to use Tinder, the dating app that maintains curiously high user numbers despite the fact that everyone claims to hate it.
You might use it to find a friend with benefits or a significant other. Or maybe you’re in search of a fresh crop of guy friends to lead on after moving to a new city. We all have our reasons for swiping all the livelong day.
But there’s one thing you can’t deny: no matter why you’re on Tinder, each match that rolls in gives you ego boost after ego boost. And according to a new study by Lend.Edu, a whopping 44% of millennials admit they’re on Tinder just for the ego boost. Specifically, they said they’re using the app for “confidence-boosting procrastination.”
In reality, that number’s probably much higher. You can’t deny that, barring the harassment and dickish behavior that can also emerge from dating app conversations, getting a push notification that someone’s into you can be incredibly validating.
The study also had a few sketch findings. Apparently, Tinder is actually not your best bet if you want to actually find a bae:
Only 29.2% of Tinder users have ever met up with someone using the app, compared to a 66% success rate for online dating sites
Only 4.16% of Tinder users are actually looking for a relationship
But honestly, as someone who’s been going strong with a Tinder boyfriend for almost a year and a half now, take these findings with a grain of salt.
READ ALSO: Meeting Your BF on Tinder Is Only Weird if You Make it Weird
Tinder is a more casual experience than a “dating site” like Match or OkCupid. Match and OkCupid are specifically designed for people who are actively seeking a long-term partner. It takes time and effort to create an account on Match or OkCupid, so of course people on there are going to take it more seriously.
I’d argue that also means the people on there are kinnnnnda dorky, because who has the time to sit around and plan out a dating profile? The beauty of dating apps like Tinder and Bumble is the ease of use. That’s why some people on Tinder and Bumble might not take it as seriously, but it’s also why there’s so much less pressure to find your potential soul mate on Tinder and Bumble.
READ ALSO: Guys Get Brutally Honest About Bumble Pickup Lines
Also, if you’re in a major city, it’s not hard at all to get a Tinder or Bumble date to meet you in person. People meet up with dating app matches IRL all the time.
And, yes, no matter what app or site you’re using, you don’t need a study or survey to tell you a fringe benefit of swipe-based dating is the massive ego boost that comes with getting hit on by dozens of dudes per hour if you’re dedicated enough to the cause. We’re only human, after all.
