• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Dating / The Right Swipe Fantasy

The Right Swipe Fantasy

December 16, 2015 //  by Meg Riley

Shares71FacebookTweet

The meaning of the phrase, “you can’t judge a book by its cover” seems to be slowly fading thanks to dating apps like, Tinder, OkCupid, Grindr and Bumble. Profile pictures and witty bios dictate whether or not you’re worthy of a Starbucks date or a casual hookup. In the end, that pimple in your picture that you thought nobody would notice ends up being your demise. With a swift left swipe, you’ve been rejected.

Social media completely invaded the young adult dating scene. You begin to think you’ve really connected with that special someone until you creep on his likes and end up questioning everything you thought you knew. You stop talking to your boyfriend for a week just because he liked another girl’s picture on Instagram. Exchanging phone passwords is now one of the more intimate moments in a relationship. Social media can make or break a relationship, and miniscule things like not enough WCW’s or MCM’s can create huge problems.

giphy.com
giphy.com

With this, the question must be raised: Are we so immature that we let social media create problems with the ones we care about, or has social media made it easier to catch our S.O.’s infidelity?

We’ve evolved from getting to know each other over time and anticipating dates to periods of “talking” via text all day everyday. I fear our generation will never know that giddy feeling while getting ready for a first date or the joy when a boy picks you up at the door to take you to a nice dinner.

When you text a person all day long, you learn so many things about them and you know what they’ve been doing all day long; so what do you talk about on the first date? Do you even go on a first date, or was the first date exchanging numbers via Twitter DMs at a party so you can communicate casually all day long?

So many imaginary stages of dating have evolved over the past few years. Actually, “defining the relationship” is now a milestone. I once dated a boy who changed our status from “talking” to “in a relationship” every other day. No matter what the label on a given day though, things never actually changed between us.

People forget that titles don’t define a relationship. The actual connection you make with another person is the definition of the relationship. Now, we foster false ideas of stages before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. We come up with new titles and levels of commitment to fit our daily wants and needs.

tumblr.com
tumblr.com

When my parents ask me about any new boys in my life, I know as soon as I say that I’m “talking” to someone that they won’t understand. To adults with real relationship experience, these pretend stages we created are humorous.

I personally have never used Tinder. Maybe it’s my fear of rejection or my lack of selfies for profile pictures, but I never had the heart to make one. As an outsider looking in, I can see the appeal and the popularity of it.

Sometimes you just want a person to talk to and give you attention because you’re going through a tough breakup and looking to fill that void or you’re looking for a hookup and the connection doesn’t extend any further than that. Boosts of confidence come from how many matches you have on Tinder, reassuring you that your ex is going to miss what he had because you’re a hot, in-demand commodity.

pinterest.com
pinterest.com

Social media and dating apps have no doubt made it easier talk to new people. It’s difficult in college to develop real relationships and make new connections.

The ease of online dating can be beneficial, but these days we’re abusing it. Technology is great, but to build a wholesome relationship you need human interaction as well. As a socially awkward person myself, I understand the struggle of introducing yourself to the cute lacrosse player who sits beside you in class.

As we’re all focused on schoolwork and responsibilities, we may not even see the time to start a new relationship with another person. It’d be much easier if we could just skip to the cuddling and binge-eating together phase—after all, isn’t that we all want the most anyways?

imagur.com
imgur.com

It’s still up for debate whether technology hurts or helps college relationships. The person you meet through Tinder, OkCupid or Bumble might end up being the love of your life, or they could end up tweeting at another girl when you’re “talking,” causing the relationship to crumble. Ultimately, if you’re looking for someone special to settle down with, steer clear of those people who consider sliding into Twitter DMs the most intimate form of contact.

Most importantly, make sure you’ve got perfect lighting for your Tinder selfie, a right swipe is at stake.

Shares71FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Dating Hooking Up Life

About Meg Riley

Writer. Far too sarcastic for my own good. Dad Music Enthusiast. Sophomore at Penn State studying Journalism.

You May Also Like

25 Relationship Memes That Will Make You Cry Laughing

meeting someone new

Stop Swiping: 10 Ways to Meet Someone Special Without Dating Apps

Halloween Isn’t the Only Time for Ghosting Anymore

You're My Person holding hands

“You’re My Person” and 21 Other Ways to Show Someone They’re Special

unsplash.com

Homework Over Heartbreak: The Truth Behind College Relationships

The Most Compatible Zodiac Signs for a Match Made in the Stars

dating

The Real Life Confessions of a Retired Online Dater

On Solitude in Cities

Romantic Couple

Advice That Everyone in a College Relationship Needs to Hear

5 Self Love Questions to Ask Yourself Before Entering a Relationship

talking stage

SOS: How to Navigate the Talking Stage in College

10 DIY Gifts Your Boyfriend Will Actually Appreciate

covid-19 dating

Your Ultimate Guide to Dating Safely During COVID-19

20 Date Ideas for Couples on a Budget

best pick up lines New Girl Schmidt and Cece

21 Best Pick Up Lines That Are So College

How to Get Sparks Flying with a Guy at a Party

Frat house from Neighbors

How I Ended Up Finding Love in a Fraternity Pregame

Couple in LDR video calling before they go to bed.

Navigating an LDR Amidst the Frat Parties and Casual Hook-ups

How Dating a POC Helped Me Accept Myself as an Asian-American

couple dressed as shaggy and Scooby

10 Crafty Halloween Costumes for You and Your “Boo”

Being a Queer Student Has Been Hard, But Not for the Reason You Think

being single in quarantine

Confessions of a Single Gal in Quarantine

dating

The Paradox of Choice

Modern Love

Previous Post: « Ho-Ho-Hostility: Mediating Between Conservative Adults and Liberal Kids
Next Post: Party Like a Boricua: Celebrating Three Kings Day »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

68

Top 10 Colleges With the Most Fashionable Students

31

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Broadway
26

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.