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Tinder's popularity spawns its share of critics

The popular US dating app Tinder is the trending matchmaker in the city these days, catering to young and old alike. Mumbaikars are installing it, connecting it to their Facebook profiles and swiping right and left to weed through lists of potential matches. But Tinder's popularity has also spawned its critics, who say they would prefer to meet their special someone in real life.

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The popular US dating app Tinder is the trending matchmaker in the city these days, catering to young and old alike. Mumbaikars are installing it, connecting it to their Facebook profiles and swiping right and left to weed through lists of potential matches. But Tinder's popularity has also spawned its critics, who say they would prefer to meet their special someone in real life.

Kunal Bambawale, music promoter and freelance writer, said, "Tinder is convenient and ubiquitous, but I still want to say that I fell in love with a girl that I first met at a business meeting or a coffee shop or a gig- not the girl I met online."

A mobile-only app, Tinder presents its users with a list of profile pictures culled from other Tinder users, which can be swiped away to the right or left of the screen. It's the direction in which you swipe your finger that decides whether it is a match or not. Left swipe reads 'nope' whereas a right swipe is 'Like'. If two people right-swipe each other's profiles, it's a match, and Tinder allows them to chat online and ask each other out if they wish.

Bharat Dimri, a young entrepreneur, said, "I feel Tinder is pushing us backwards. Firstly, it is forcing people to judge a book by its cover. Secondly, it is promoting the use of virtual interaction rather than actual human interaction to determine a potential date. Also it could lead to people feeling low about themselves if they don't get any matches, leading them to have low self esteem."

Tinder was launched in August 2012, and won TechCrunch's Crunchie Award for 'Best New Startup of 2013'. Its userbase is 1.5 billion strong. The mobile app, available from the app store, automatically synchronises with its user's Facebook account. The application lets the user specify the distance within which s/he wants her/his prospective date to be. The options range from 2 km to 161 km. The selection throws up prospective matches around that area. Depending on preference you swipe left or right. The app then gives the option to chat with the selected profiles.

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