Hooked on Hinge

Tired of Tinder? Bored with Bumble? Is OKcupid just okay? Do you feel like something is still missing?

Our society is becoming more connected through modern tech every day, so it’s no surprise that looking for love on dating apps has become the new norm.

I’m not going to claim that love is completely dead, but just like the rest of our lives, romance has definitely gotten “complicated” in this new age of ours. If you feel the same way, then I have a suggestion for you. Try the dating app that everyone is talking about: “Hinge. The App meant to be deleted.”

Source: Medium

Though it may seem like people just discovered it, Hinge actually came out in the Tinder-dominated era of 2012. Unlike its competitor that is famous for buoying hook-up culture, Hinge has a different message as it encourages its users to create deeply meaningful connections. In order to establish this intention, the app’s dating profiles feature users’ answers to deal-breaking questions, meaning you won’t have to ask those uncomfortable Q’s on the first date.

Before I begin raving about my Hinge experience, I must first begin with a disclosure. I’m a first date queeeeen. What I mean by that is that is after I first meet a guy, it’s only a matter of time before I get bored and let things fizzle out. Despite this habit of mine, my best dates have been a result of this app. In fact, I met the only guy I’ve ever had serious feelings for on Hinge, and I believe it’s because it actually sets you up for a chance of success.

Hinge’s profile creation process is extensive. They ask for your age, gender, education level, religion, political views, drug usage, sexual mate preference, dream pets, whether or not you want kids and more. Also, you just can’t swipe right on a person’s profile. Instead, you are presented with their photos and the answers to three prompts of their choice. You can then either ‘like’ or comment on their profiles if you want to engage with them further. But you have to be selective here—you get a limited amount of free matches a day since the app’s creators want you to take your connections seriously. You are notified if someone has ‘liked’ your profile or if it’s your turn to reply to a message so you don’t accidentally ghost someone. These extensive features come with a price tag on other dating apps, but on Hinge, they’re 100% free.

Hinge really is the app that is meant to be deleted, but it can’t do all the work for you. You have to pick the right mate for yourself and be open to having a genuine connection. (Also, not all of the people on the app are amazing, but that’s a story for another article.) Overall, Hinge does a pretty good job weeding out the bad apples based on your profile preferences. From my personal experience, nothing will ever beat a real life connection, but Hinge might just be the next best thing.