College is a period of growth, from structured, high school life to freedom in your own space. Although education is the main goal, college years are the first time in a student's life when they have more freedom. It is where students find their maturity levels after high school, have the best nights of their lives, travel and experience life with their only responsibility being graduation. Not to mention, it is also the place where people will meet their closest friends and potential life partners.
Meeting a significant other during college is not uncommon. According to a statistic from The Knot, 15% of married couples surveyed said they met their partner on higher education campuses. Another 15% said they met their partner through a common friend and 8% said they met in a social setting, such as a bar. Those statistics show the long tradition of meeting a partner through campus romance or organically. However, in recent years, dating apps have surpassed that percentage, with 35% of people meeting their partner on dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge or Bumble. This shift reflects modern trends, but romance is something that can’t be modernized, or else romance would need a new name.
Dating apps often reduce romantic connections to surface-level judgments as users swipe through profiles based largely on appearance – sort of like a beauty contest. Yes, there is space to show personality, but only so much personality can be shown through a screen. When matched, either side will text a cheesy pick-up line or just say hello. Either way, conversations on dating apps can be seen as transactional and impersonal.
Dating apps can have the nickname "hookup apps" because when two people meet they typically spend a great night together and then get back on the app the next morning to find their next fun time. This is more likely on a college campus than in the “real world" because maturity levels are lacking in younger years. Dating apps are more likely to promote short-term fun rather than long-term commitment. Only 12% of relationships from dating apps end up in marriage or a committed relationship, according to a 2023 study from Pew Research Center.
Not to mention, infidelity rates have risen from dating apps, according to Newsweek. Dating apps expose cheaters 19% of the time among Generation Z. Stability and loyalty lose value because it has become so easy for anyone to cheat. The immediacy of swiping and matching can lead to fleeting interactions, with some users moving on to the next potential match after just one night. For those in committed relationships, the temptation to cheat can be as simple as swiping on a new profile. This has made it harder for some people to trust the long-term stability of relationships formed on those platforms, according to Women.
Dating apps can lessen the hopes of meeting a partner organically through classes, organizations or the hopeless romantic dream of someone running into a person and staying inseparable afterward. Technology has undoubtedly changed how people connect, but for many, the desire for genuine, face-to-face interactions remains strong.
Although dating apps may be convenient and have become a dominant way for people to meet, they are not without their drawbacks. Romance is best found through real-life interactions where personality, chemistry and shared experiences are more naturally revealed. For those in college, the hope of finding that special someone organically remains an important part of the college experience.
Suzanne Piper is a junior at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Suzanne know by tweeting her @_suziepiper.
