The new era calls out for virtual friends whom you can filter according to your own interests. All you need is a device and your pretty fingers to swipe through and tap to discover your perfect match. The match can either be your friend or a special friend or even someone with whom you share quality time. Tinder is one such popular app that lets a teenager sneak out of their regular circle and meet new people online. Most of the online dating apps are found to be not suitable for teenagers; however, Tinder allows teenagers of age range 13 to 17 as well to participate in the online dating scenario.

Let’s get to know about the app.

Tinder is your online cupid who connects you with a potential match within minutes after you pen down a short description about yourself and upload a heartthrob-like profile picture. The app works like this: The moment you are done with creating your profile, you’d be able to see potential matches by swiping right, and when you aren’t interested in a certain profile, you got to swipe left. When people express their feelings to each other, they can share personal details and proceed further.

Tinder being popular with teens

There are several reasons why Tinder is a household name among teenagers of today. The first reason lies in a very short duration of filling profiles and meeting your compatible match. Tinder causes less anxiety to teenagers by not letting them know whether someone is “Not interested” by “Swipe left” feature. The “Swipe right” feature indicates to ask you out for someone you are interested in.

Shortcomings of Tinder

Qustodio has reportedly announced “Tinder” as one of the most harmful apps for teenagers, because of the below-mentioned shortcomings:

1. There’s no human God on platforms like Tinder; people can lie about their age anytime; hence, predators are all over such platforms to extort and exploit the teenagers.
2. Tinder has a geo-location feature on profile pictures that enables a user to guess somebody’s location by seeing the radius. (1 mile, 2 km and so on.) Tech-savvy strangers can trace your location at a go.
3. There are hundreds of scammers luring a teen out, for showcasing their private pictures and later, extorting or swindling them for a huge bounty.
4. Gone are those days, when people use the Internet for making new and trustworthy friends. Tinder promotes hook-ups; hence; teens these days are more into one night stands than seeking for his/her soul mate.
5. Platonic friendships aren’t the Tinder way of thinking. It is mainly meant for people who want to meet each other in person and establish a connection. A lot of people may face issues or drop the idea of meeting strangers, but they can always choose a private space to meet them.
6. Tinder is more about judging people on the basis of physical appearances and then, establishing a connection.

Keeping your child safe from scams

There are certain things that need to be discussed openly. Parents must indulge in talking to their children about online safety and the nuances of social media. Online dating has its shortcomings which can land your teen to unwanted trouble; hence, using it for good is certainly required. A parent must obtain all the necessary information regarding the reason to join such a platform to search for new friends or a potential partner to spend time with. An open discussion with your child enables him/her, to tell the truth rather than treating your concern as a boring lecture. Modern parents need to be tech-savvy enough to control their children’s activity on social media. Smartphone rules must be created to enable a child’s smooth functioning of the schedule.