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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Murray State chapter.

Tinder is one of the biggest names in online dating, so obviously, being the single college girl I am, I had to try it out. Some people love to hype it up, but others say it’s just a waste of time. If I am being honest, I can’t decide the two. So here are my thoughts on using Tinder in Murray, Kentucky. 

I was a little bit nervous setting up my profile, for sure. It’s really easy to be intimidated by the location questions, the age questions, and the dreaded biography question. But once I realized the measures Tinder actually uses to make sure that people are safe, I felt a little bit better about making an account. If you don’t want your location to show, you can change your settings to where it won’t show how many miles away from a match you are. Location accuracy isn’t always perfect, though. If you set your distance to be between certain mileage, you may get a distance above what you put. I think this mainly happens when you run out of matches in that certain area, though. Tinder also encourages safe habits, like telling your friends where you are going, not meeting at someone’s house, and staying in well lit areas.

I think that one of the most important things about using dating and relationship apps is being honest about yourself and what you are looking for so you can get the most matches. I made a Bumble account, and ultimately deleted it just a little while later, but there are features I wish Tinder had, such as including your political ideaologies, interests, astrological sign, and a lot more as questions for your biography. In your biography, of course, you can write what you are looking for, whether that be friends, hookups, or a potential romantic partner. But when people don’t include that, it can be hard to gauge the situation that they are wanting to be in. It can be kind of awkward when you are just looking for friends, but the person you matched with wants a hookup. 

Of course, even in a small town like Murray, Kentucky, you meet an incredibly diverse group of people who could be possible matches. I’ve met international students who I may have never met before, and we have become great friends. I’ve met people who love to fish, and people who love theater. Sometimes there are whole groups of people who you may not have considered hanging out with before, but you do because of Tinder. It can be really hard to start a conversation, I know that for a fact. And sometimes, people who you match with may not message you at all. But don’t be discouraged by that, there are plenty of people on there who will want to talk to you and have the same interests as you. I found out that talking to someone about something they mentioned in their profile can be good, maybe use a funny joke if it’s your style, or just say hey! If they are honestly interested, they’ll answer. 

I think Tinder also does a great job of accepting people’s gender identities and sexualities. It is actually pretty easy to find same-sex matches using Tinder, I have come to find out. It can be a little bit nerve racking at first, but it honestly is a great feature that can introduce you to more people you would like to be with. I suprisingly haven’t gotten anyone being hateful on my Tinder account, either. This may be different for different people though, and Tinder does have block, unmatch, and report options for any instance that someone makes you uncomfortable. 

I haven’t been successful in finding exactly what I’m looking for on Tinder, however, it has led to me creating some great friendships and some possible romantic relationships in the future. It’s really interesting to get to see all the different people that have created accounts and what their personality is like. Would I reccomend Tinder? Of course! You may not find exactly what you are looking for, but it can certainly be a lot of fun trying to find it in a safe and positive way. 

Taylor Moore

Murray State '24

Taylor Moore is currently a sophomore at Murray State University majoring in Advertising. On campus she is part of the Honors College, Ads Club, Springer-Franklin RCC Executive Board, and Her Campus! When she isn't in her classes, she enjoys kayaking, hanging out with friends, crafting, and other on campus activities.