The Power of the Right Swipe on USC Campus


Swipe left if it’s a no go. Swipe right if you’re down. From Tinder to Bumble, dating apps are a pretty prevalent force on college campuses, but are they ruining the magic of the organic way of meeting someone? Some people may argue that dating apps take out the romance of a “meet cute” aka the scenario in which the movies show a couple meeting in a zany, destined-to-fall-in-love-star-crossed-lovers way.

Dating apps also rely heavily on judging someone solely by their appearance and maybe a couple clever sentences in a bio they write. These characteristics may seem superficial, but I argue that we do these EXACT same things in real life. We all know that first impressions are everything. In my everyday life, I am interested in a guy if I find them visually attractive. Blue eyes, dark hair, 6 feet tall boys are my weakness (what can I say, I’m human). Once I see that, I’m done. Those first couple of things he says to me is his time to shine and that’s when I judge if I’m interested (or if I’m swiping left in real life).

Dating apps are also a great outlet when you need a little confidence booster. It’s nice to know when you’re feeling a little too single on a Friday night that someone out there thinks you’re hot. You also have the chance to say the most outrageous things to guys and laugh at their responses while hanging with your girls.

As a single girl on USC’s campus, I’ve developed a technique on dating apps that has proved highly effective. Let me break it down for you. The key to Tinder and Bumble is to use the settings to your advantage. Put the distance to only 5 miles away then swipe through and you will find yourself basically on an app for the single people at USC. On Bumble, hit up these boys or girls with the “I’ve always had a thing for guys/girls with (insert a characteristic they have here).” My go to is complimenting their eye color or the sport they play. Easy, simple, and ends up with a response every time.

More often than not, the guys I swipe right on end up knowing one of my friends and if not, I now know that this cute guy that goes to USC is single. Then, the next time I see him at a party, I have a flirty conversation starter and I know he’s on the market. Not only that, I know he’s swiped right on me and thinks I’m cute. The hard part is over my friends.

My advice to USC students is to not overthink these dating apps and don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.  They broaden the market for available guys or girls and if you end up meeting your future spouse then you can thank me for the encouragement. Happy swiping friends!