Swiping On Tinder
Online dating apps like Tinder have revolutionised the way Singaporean Millennials meet new people. Whether you’re ‘just bored and looking for friends’, or someone to keep your bed warm for the night, Mr Right is just a swipe away.
While swiping on Tinder can be a way to meet new people and date out of your social circle, it can turn obsessive quickly and have you hooked on the app.
If you find yourself checking off more than a few signs on this list, your want to admire cute specimens in your area has probably long morphed into an obsessive need to swipe right.
1. You go on a swiping spree whenever you need an ego boost
It’s a nice feeling when you match with someone you find attractive and they send you a “Hey babe, you’re really gorgeous.”
But when you find yourself opening up the app to ‘get high’ on the compliments of guys validating your appearance, you might have a self-esteem problem.
You shouldn’t have to have random dudes telling you you’re beautiful before feeling you are. Feeling fabulous should come from within.
2. You get bothered when a cute guy doesn’t match with you
Half the fun of Tinder is checking out the cute guy buffet and hoping you get a match. If you do, great, you get to flirt with a hottie. If you don’t, no hard feelings, there are plenty of fish in the sea.
But if you start feeling lowkey insulted when you don’t immediately match with the dude you swiped right on, you’re probably taking this dating app thing way too personally.
3. You start imagining everyone you match with as long-term partners
Even though Tinder is a casual dating app, there’s always a possibility you’ll find something serious while navigating the Tinder-verse.
But when you read too much into the ‘success’ stories and start believing in love at first swipe, you might fall into the unhealthy habit of seeing every you guy you match with as your potential soulmate.
This creates a tendency to jump into relationships way too quickly and puts unrealistic romantic expectations on a stranger you barely know. Like really, you don’t even know anything about this dude and you want to husband him already?
4. You spend more time meeting matches than hanging out with friends
Meeting new people can be fun, but if you’re flaking on your friends because some random named Jared wants to Netflix and chill, you know you’re taking it too far.
While most Singaporean Millennials enjoy the giddy rush of first dates, it’s important not to neglect the people who care about you.
Don’t waste your time prioritising strangers you only have surface level feelings for. These guys come and go, but friends and family are your ride or die.
5. You start judging a person’s worth based on their looks
It’s no secret Tinder is a superficial app–everyone swipes according to whether they like what they see.
But when you start mentally swiping on people IRL and rewire your brain to judge people by attractive/not attractive, you may have trouble looking past appearances and appreciating people for who they really are.
There’s nothing wrong with being infatuated with a person’s looks, but if you’re looking for something more, you need to remember it’s personality, not beauty, you fall in love with.
6. You’re still swiping even though you don’t enjoy using Tinder anymore
If you’re tired, cranky, and up way past your bedtime for ‘just one more swipe’, you need to rethink your life choices and ask yourself why you’re still in the app.
7. You meet every guy you match with
From a seemingly endless pool of possible Tinder matches, it seems like a blessing how you’re spoilt for choice.
But when your date tells you he heard that you went out with both his brothers and his best friend in the past month, you’re not being very selective and likely wasting your time on people you’re only mildly interested in (read: not that into).
8. You get excited when you travel to a new part of Singapore
While your friends groan at the thought of an hour-long MRT ride from Pasir Ris to Jurong, you secretly can’t wait to check out the Tinder scene in an ‘uncovered territory’.
In fact, just thinking about speed-swiping at every station is getting you excited.
9. You become genuinely upset when you accidentally swipe left on someone
Part of the magic of Tinder is you never know what you’re going to find. But sometimes our thumbs spasm and we accidentally swipe left on a hottie.
If your reaction to accidentally swiping left is some high-level Instagram stalking, looking through all your friends’ Facebook lists and hoping to God someone on this tiny island is a mutual friend, you need to take a chill.
10. You’re swiping on Tinder every spare minute you have
While there’s nothing wrong with logging on once in a while, you shouldn’t be dropping all your hobbies in favour of spending ‘me’ time on the app.
If you realise you’re already done pooping and have spent the past half an hour on the toilet swiping away, congrats, you’ve become an empty shell of a human being.
Getting Off Tinder And Getting Back Into The Real World
Hopefully, with this list, you can check yourself before you wreck yourself by spotting the signs of whether or not Tinder is taking over your life.
Cover image: Source
