Well, mostly strangers. You see their faces, their ages, what they are looking for. There is a bit of a tragedy in seeing these advertisements though. Why is modern life so hard that we have to market ourselves in such a way? Or is this just another sign of progress? Usually these photos are accompanied by words. What people say they want. What people say they are looking for. I vaguely remember reading these words at 2 AM. Then I remember deleting my account and uninstalling the app again.
Maybe around the time that I became single again. A friend had it. They thought they were going to find the true loves of their lives, dependable, reliable partners. Sort of like pet dogs, but humans they could actually interact with. And yes, they could have sex. Maybe around that time, I logged in for the first time, and was offered up a motley crew of the eligible. Shared hobbies? Many had altered their profile photos to such an extent that only the eyes and lips were left.
They were like cartoon characters. I was being asked to choose an anime character. Some did not follow this pattern. Some women posted photos where they looked away from the camera, creating a sense of reluctance or mystery.
Others trained the camera lens on their legs. Or their cleavage. Was this what it had been reduced to? Selecting a new pet human based on breast size or appearance? Maybe some other attribute. Kids, no kids. Musical taste. I probably swiped through hundreds of women. They fell before me like foot soldiers during the Great War. It was a slaughterhouse. The app reshuffled the deck again and again. No, no, no, yes? The ones I actually chose bothered me more than the ones I rejected.
Most had a kind of psychotic gleam in their eyes. Why was I drawn to mentally disturbed women? I deleted the app. Later, a female friend showed me her side of Tinder, the images of men standing beside their new cars, or working out in the gym with their shirts off.
