*This story contains anonymous sources

Wanting to surprise herself on her eighteenth birthday, she decided to make some riskier plans than usual. Sophia*, senior, pocketed her pepper spray before sneaking out to a bowling alley to meet a boy she connected with through the social networking app Tinder. Because this was her first time meeting him in person, she sent the details of her plans to three close friends and asked them to contact authorities if they did not hear from her in a few hours. Sophia then found that the bowling alley was closed, but she said she suspects her Tinder date knew this all along. He suggested they sit and “chat” in his car instead, and from there, the date continued.

“It was a joke at first,” Sophia said. “I only got the app because I was bored. After talking to a guy I met [on Tinder] for a month, I trusted him enough to meet him. It was kind of fun, but I wouldn’t do it again.”

Tinder is a platform designed to “match” two people with similar interests. Users can fill their personal profile with photos, a brief written bio and music they like. Then they can browse users nearby, swiping left to dismiss a profile and right on a profile they like. If they are liked back, the pair can message each other and decide whether to meet up. In an interview with “The Guardian,” Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen said they simply intended it to connect two people for a wide range of purposes, not exclusively hooking up.

“It’s a social discovery platform, facilitating an introduction between two people,” Mateen said in the interview. “It’s in the messaging of the company, but also in the small details: everything we’ve done is intended to make sure it’s not a hookup app.”

Mateen announced in 2014 that over 7 percent of Tinder users are between the ages of 13 and 17. Because the app requires a minimum age of 18, younger users post a fake age on their profiles. A recent TKC survey found 20 percent (63/318) of KHS students have created an account on an online dating app such as Tinder, Match and Grindr. Senior Hailey* has been on five dates with a 23-year-old man she met on Tinder.

“Even if I wanted to be in an actual relationship with him, I wouldn’t,” Hailey said. “I’m 17 and he’s out of college, which is a larger age difference than most people are comfortable with. He thinks I’m 18 and my friends think he’s 21. Since I’ll be leaving for college soon, it’s not like I want anything serious. I don’t think a lot of people on Tinder want anything serious.”

Both Hailey and Sophia take precautions to avoid dangerous situations when meeting strangers. After initially connecting with Tinder matches, both said they use Snapchat to communicate. Because Snapchat does not allow users to send pictures from their camera roll without the recipient knowing, Tinder users can prove they are not a catfish, someone who develops a false persona online using stolen images. Hailey said she has gone on around four first dates after chatting with each match for roughly one week.

“I’d never go out with anyone I haven’t talked to on Snapchat or Facetime so I can see their face,” Hailey said. “I try to organize my own transportation, so I won’t go in anyone’s car on the first date or in their house. The first time I meet someone, we go to a public place like a restaurant. If we hook up, I always make sure they use protection, and I also feel safer knowing I’m on birth control.”

Hailey said there are a few people she regrets meeting from Tinder, such as someone who picked her up high, an hour late and with only 45 minutes to spend with her before he had other plans. Another time, she discovered a supposed 18-year-old she had been talking to was actually 14. Sophia agreed Tinder can serve as a perfect platform for negative behavior.

“There have been a few times where guys have commented on my weight right away,” Sophia said. “I’ve had some really bad experiences with guys who have called me names that are both creepy and rude.”

While users may stray from the app’s intended purpose, Tinder reports an average of 2 billion matches per day in 2018. This aligns with the founders’ goal of providing a service to allow people to connect with others outside of their everyday social circles.

“I’m in high school,” Hailey said. “I don’t want to be anyone’s wife or even anyone’s girlfriend. It’s just casual.”