tinder – The Concordian

Some use them for fun, while others may be searching for their true love. But there is one thing that is certain about dating apps; they need more regulation.

A recent investigation discovered that most free dating apps don’t conduct background checks on sex offenders. In fact, Match Group, the largest dating app corporation in the United States, has admitted that they do not screen free dating apps for users with sexual-related charges. The company owns some of the most popular dating apps to date such as Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid.

A simple background check could have saved the lives of multiple men and women who ended up raped or murdered. A study conducted by Columbia Journalism Investigations has found that this lack of uniform policy to conduct background checks had left users vulnerable to an array of sexual assaults.

However, what remains shocking is that Match Group had issued statements pertaining to the protection of its users by ensuring extensive screenings of potential predators, but it has done the opposite, according to CBS News. For years, it had made false promises to users in which they agreed to examine sex-offender registries following the rapes of various women. Both women had matched with men whom they later realized had been convicted of sexual-related crimes on multiple occasions.

One woman matched with a man named Mark Papamechail on the Plenty of Fish dating app back in 2016. His profile indicated that he was divorced, just like her, and looking for someone to marry. The two chatted for months and even went on several dates together until he raped her. She became the second woman to file a police report against Papamechail following a sex-related crime.

According to the same analysis, in 10 per cent of the incidents, dating platforms had matched their users with a convicted criminal at least once before. These statistics should raise an immediate red flag considering the number of people using dating apps daily. The Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) released a study suggesting that this problem will continue, given the growing popularity of online dating apps throughout the years. In 2008, the percentage of adults who used dating apps went from three per cent in 2008, two 12 per cent in 2015. Furthermore, the BBC announced in an article released this year that the number of recorded sexual assaults had almost doubled in the last four years. In England, recorded offenses intensified from 156 in 2015, to 286 in 2018.

Despite the dangers surrounding these dating apps, there are precautions that can be taken for women to feel safer before going on a date with someone they met online. First and foremost, you should always let a friend or family member know about the date ahead of time. You can also let that person track your location using through the Find My Friends app or via Facebook Messenger. I also find that it’s usually best to meet your date in a public place in the event that if something bad happens, there’s always a chance that someone nearby will see something. Never forget, the internet is your friend! So in that case, don’t be afraid to do some digging on the person you’re meeting beforehand. Last tip, if your date takes place in a bar, always make sure to keep an eye on your drink if you feel uneasy because at the end of the day, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Graphic by Victoria Blair

This Feb.14 enjoy the anti-valentine manifesto

The wind howls uncontrollably as my hands go numb from wandering the dark and desolate streets of the Old Port. There’s not a single soul in sight, for this arctic climate cannot support any life.

The bitter frost finally gets to me, so I make my weekly pilgrimage to a small café in order to warm up and gather my thoughts. Sitting inside the cozy establishment, I drink my black coffee and observe a young couple across the room on a date.

Like a scientist observing a new species, I analyze their behavior with fervor. They barely speak to one another and seem concentrated on their mobile phones, glancing at each other every so often to show an Instagram picture.

The only minute sign of a connection seems to be the occasional arm rub or leg glance from underneath the table.

I finish my coffee quickly and want to puke.

Existential thoughts flood my mind and I soon come to the realization that, in 2016, romance is truly dead.

We’re living in a modern world where our deities have become Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and have lost the ability to profess our genuine affection for one another if it’s not on social media.

I leave the café and begin to trace the death of modern romance, with all signs first pointing to the advent of dating apps.

Yes I’m referring to mainly Tinder and the other nefarious apps in the same vein. They’ve turned the dating world into a child’s game with humans being disposable and infinite.

The app was launched in 2012 and has grown in popularity in the past few years, and almost instantly became a cultural sensation. It has amassed almost 50 million active users and is available in 26 languages, according cnbc.com.

With users swiping left or right on each profile, the main focus of the app is geared towards general esthetics rather than personality or interests. If someone doesn’t like your photo, it’s on to the next one.

To make matters worse, a new report by fastcompany.com revealed that Tinder has created several algorithms that essentially rate your desirability. That means all users have been placed on a hierarchical list that scores mainly their level of physical attractiveness.

No wonder romance is dead; we all are just rating each other while an algorithm is doing the same to us—how ironic. There’s little investment needed and a plethora of matches that will always pop up onscreen.

I should also mention that I have tried these apps. At first, I enjoyed the attention from complete strangers paying me compliments, but ultimately I felt judged like a piece of meat simply on the basis of my photos.

Many users as well were simply looking for casual sex, something that Tinder has easily facilitated. It’s so stress-free nowadays to find someone to have a one-night stand with.

The traditional methods of doing this before the apps would require going out into the real world and searching out an individual at a bar or club, yet nowadays you can do it from home in your bed.

There’s nothing wrong with casual sex as long as it’s consensual and protected, but this virtual dating world definitely takes out the romantic aspect of sex and intimacy.

We cannot forget Valentine’s Day either, the only day of the year when it’s socially acceptable to vomit our suppressed romantic emotions onto our partners while having to buy tons of materialistic goods.

A recent report by the National Retail Federation revealed that Americans are estimated to spend more than US$19.7 billion on Valentine’s Day related items. Most of these purchases made in the days leading up to the corporate holiday will be chocolate, flowers and jewelry.

The same report revealed that six million people are planning to propose this year, with an estimated US$4.4 billion being spent on diamonds alone.

We peasants are clearly suckling the teat of the She-wolf—and are buying into this bogus capitalist propaganda.

Bitter I may be, but it’s really hard to see any genuine examples of modern day romance, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s just a reminder how society has taken such a dark turn towards a dark and hollow reality.