Between Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and other dating apps, the options are endless, and so are the people using them. Indicating interest only takes a swipe and a quick message.
Dating apps are particularly popular among college age students with 22 percent reporting that they use dating apps, the highest percentage of any age group according to a Pew research study. There are only so many people to meet in class, and large lectures can make it overwhelming to strike up a conversation, so students may find it more convenient to date online.
Tinder has even introduced a feature called Tinder U which makes it easier for college students to connect with people on their campus by showing the profiles of their classmates first.
Read more: Will Tinder U have ASU students swiping right on familiar faces?
This current culture of online dating especially empowers women in college because it gives them more agency and choice in their interpersonal relationships than they had in pre-Tinder times.
According to Marlon Bailey, associate professor of Women and Gender Studies at ASU, online dating allows women to pursue feminist principles and ideals that were not as accessible as before.
“Feminism has created discourse and a means by which women can focus on themselves and have agency in their relationships, endeavors and pursuits,” Bailey said. “The online venue has created the opportunity for those kinds of relationships and romantic and even sexual opportunities for women to pursue.”
College is also a time when many are figuring out who they are and Bailey also said that online dating empowers women by allowing them an outlet to explore their sexuality.
"We’re not just talking about women who are in or pursuing relationships with men, pursuing heterosexual relationships, but pursuing relationship configurations ... (that are) more all encompassing and more based on the connections that women make with other people whether they be women, men, trans-women, trans-men or non-gender conforming."
Dating apps also allow women to be more specific, honest and upfront about what they want in relationships.
Traditional dating often relies on making good first impressions and avoiding the discussion of sensitive topics and issues. Online dating takes that barrier away and enables women to get to know important make-or-break characteristics sooner.
Apps like Bumble and Hinge allow users to enter details about what they’re looking for like political views and family plans, which are important things to note when considering a relationship.
Bumble specifically was made to give women the agency in online dating as it requires women to express interest first, and they must be the first to message their match within a 24-hour time period or the match expires. Notably, the app also has a no-tolerance policy for abuse.
In 2018, Bumble wrote an open letter to one of its former users for attacking his match with hateful and misogynistic messages.
“In years past, this type of ‘locker room talk’ was laughed off as bro code,” the letter reads. “But maybe your head's been underwater for too long, because the tide has turned. The days of money, status, fame, pedigree, athletic ability or even the boys' club protecting you from bad behavior are over. Progress demands accountability.”
Striking up online conversations also allow women to determine compatibility before meeting their matches in real life. Getting to know someone through texting can help women decide if someone is really worth going on a date with.
Online dating has provided a means for and in many cases, a safe space for women to explore who they are and what they want out of their romantic and sexual relationships.
In a blog post by Health Policy Fellow Caila Brander for the National Women's Health Network entitled “Young Feminist — Dating Apps: Finger Swipes as a Silent Act of Feminism,” Brander asserts that dating apps have empowered her because of the choice and mutual investments both parties are required to make.
“For me, these tiny moments of agency were quietly revolutionary,” Brander wrote.
While it may seem small, the tiny moments she mentioned are largely important.
In a world where women systematically face a lack of power, finding power in the little things matter. Online dating can give women agency and control in determining not only what they want, but who they are in their relationships.
Reach the columnist at jreksodi@asu.edu and follow @jfreksodiputro on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the authors’ and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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