
If you plan to boycott Valentine’s Day this year due to a lackluster or nonexistent love interest, don’t despair. Technology provides a cheat sheet for romance in the modern college arena.
In 2013, MoneyUnder30.com named Salt Lake City the second-best city to be “young, broke and single.” With 40.5 percent of the population between the ages of 18-44 and over 114 bars in the area, it would seem that it wouldn’t be difficult for a student at Salt Lake Community College to have a date this Valentine’s Day. But if you are single, Feb. 14 can seem like a daunting invitation for self-loathing and loneliness.
It seems that on a college campus especially, young single people are everywhere, so the idea of dating websites seems tiring and tedious. Sites such as Match.com and eHarmony pride themselves on a person finding that “perfect compatible match” with the use of extremely monotonous questionnaires.
It has been noted that only 25 percent of the members on these traditional dating sites are under 35. But recently, the idea of instant dating has come into play. Hot or not lists have been around for a time, but the accessibility of instant love is now at student’s fingertips. The smartphone acts as the new chariot for love.
Whether you are interested in a “just for the night” kind of date or believe that romance isn’t dead, here are a few apps to help you achieve your goal this Valentine’s Day, whatever that might be.
Down, formerly Bang with Friends – Do you get the idea yet? Not one for subtlety, this app allows you to connect your Facebook account to it and once you do, you personally get to choose the friends you would like to, well, hang out with. If it is a match on both ends, you’ll have a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Tinder – It’s a no brainer, you know what Tinder is. The application uses your location to match you to others in the area of your intended age and gender preference. A picture will pop up, allowing you to swipe right to accept or left to reject. If that person likes your own perfectly colored and cropped photograph, the opportunity to have a deep and fulfilling conversation will present itself. Who knows, maybe it will be love at first swipe.
Date My School – The New York Times honored this site as one of the best online dating sources for college students. Once students enroll using their college email accounts, they can customize their matches by schools, interests, courses, etc.
Coffee Meets Bagel – It’s like dating on a budget. Connected to your Facebook account, the site will send you a match every day, which can include friends of friends. If both parties accept the match, the site will give discounts to coffee shops and restaurants in the area.
There are still risks to online dating, so if you do take that chance, remember to let someone know where you are going and keep them updated on your status. The last thing you want is to turn your Valentine’s Day into an actual horror movie. Good luck and happy hunting!
I have to agree with Karla on this. Two of the apps listed are not dating apps, they are shallow, “hook-up” apps. Why not promote Meet-Up which is a safer, more interesting alternative to just randomly getting together with a stranger. At least Meet-Up is organized by interests (not just physical attraction) and you can meet in a safe group setting. Promote making friendships, not shallow, meaningless sex.
In a society that is increasingly becoming disconnected because of social media, I didn’t exactly think it a great idea that the globe online chose to write an article on how to find a date ONLINE. That it suggested such a thing as Tinder, Where if the person doesn’t like your looks they can just swipe you away. There is nothing wrong with being single on a commercial holiday that holds absolutely no special value whatsoever. Why suggest that not having a date on such shallow day would invite feelings of self loathing and loneliness?? Really guys how about next time were put some thought into what you choose to put out there.
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