Tinder
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shysinger21
- not a newbie
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:49 am
- Age: 27
- Primary language: English
- Pronouns: she/her
- Sexual identity: Straight
- Location: Michigan
Tinder
I want to join Tinder, but I don't know if I should use Facebook or a phone number. I also want to know how to do you know if you are being catfished.
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Heather
- scarleteen founder & director
- Posts: 9703
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:43 am
- Age: 54
- Awesomeness Quotient: I have been a sex educator for over 25 years!
- Primary language: english
- Pronouns: they/them
- Sexual identity: queery-queer-queer
- Location: Chicago
Re: Tinder
I'd say that really depends on you and how much privacy you want (not using FB may give you a little more), as well as if you have any concerns about the fact that with all of these linked things per Facebook (FB itself, Instagram, Tinder, etc.), Facebook is using your information for whatever they want, effectively.
In terms of people not being who they say they are, I would say that generally the easiest way to find out as best you can is to meet them sooner rather than later. In other words, if you stay in DMs for conversation for weeks or months before meeting in person, it's a lot easier for someone pretending to be someone they aren't to do that. That said, I would say that Tinder strikes me as less likely place for that to happen, as opposed to other ways of meeting people online.
You can also do a Google images search for someone with any of their photos to see if they match up, and then after that, it's generally basic fraud stuff. People looking or sounding too good to be true usually are, someone who seems shady -- like not even having pictures, or being in the dark in them, or putting you off a lot when you try to meet, or making claims about themselves or how they feel about you that seem dicey -- probably is, etc.
Honestly, my concern with apps like Tinder are more about personal safety than catfishing, which is generally pretty harmless when you're not doing things that would make it a bigger deal, like getting super involved without meeting, or sharing all your deep darks before you're sure someone is who they say they are, you know?
In terms of people not being who they say they are, I would say that generally the easiest way to find out as best you can is to meet them sooner rather than later. In other words, if you stay in DMs for conversation for weeks or months before meeting in person, it's a lot easier for someone pretending to be someone they aren't to do that. That said, I would say that Tinder strikes me as less likely place for that to happen, as opposed to other ways of meeting people online.
You can also do a Google images search for someone with any of their photos to see if they match up, and then after that, it's generally basic fraud stuff. People looking or sounding too good to be true usually are, someone who seems shady -- like not even having pictures, or being in the dark in them, or putting you off a lot when you try to meet, or making claims about themselves or how they feel about you that seem dicey -- probably is, etc.
Honestly, my concern with apps like Tinder are more about personal safety than catfishing, which is generally pretty harmless when you're not doing things that would make it a bigger deal, like getting super involved without meeting, or sharing all your deep darks before you're sure someone is who they say they are, you know?
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