We’ve Reached Peak Tinder

It’s over guys. Tinder has reached its zenith and there’s nowhere but down from here. It was fun while it lasted. We all had a good time swiping away while we waited in lines and for our friends to show up. Now the days of falling in lust and chatting with bots are over.

Some have gone so far as to declare Tinder dead. It’s not. But it will never be the same as it was at it’s peak 6 months ago. From hookup app, to game, to cultural phenomenon, to burn out. It has been a wild ride. Now we are all pretty sick of the game. Pretty sick of the crazy conversations. Pretty sick of the “strategies” and opening lines. But it gets worse that just our collective ennui about the app.

Big changes are coming with the next update that is being released soon. Gone will be endless swiping – thus also say sayonara to gaming the system by swiping everyone right and then picking through. By restricting the number of swipes you are allowed per day, the Tinder folks are substantively changing the experience of the app and who it is targeting. They are also adding some new features, but none are as big a seismic shift as the limited swiping. The good days are over. Tinder is a pure dating app again, and this means a mass exodus is around the corner.

I’ve certainly done my time on the app. Haven’t we all. I was never one for the endless right swipe; I actually did pick through and swipe women I was even moderately interested in. Over several months on the app, I only ever went on one first date. There was no second date. Tinder has always been seen as a hookup app, and every conversation I had was pregnant with that spectre hanging over the discourse. Was the other person just looking for some afternoon delight? Is this person going to go loony toons on me and chop me up into chihuahua food? So like most of its users, Tinder has always been a game to me. But now the rules are changing and the only people who will stick around are the 30% heavy users. Tinder isn’t dead, but it’s all downhill from here.