If you ask me, the generation gap between millennials and their parents is most glaring when you look at how relationships and love has changed. A far cry from the arranged marriage setup, apps like Tinder have revolutionised the mating dance. Thanks to online dating, today’s youth approaches dating the same way they approach Netflix. You browse through the innumerable options on your phone screen–some appeal to you, some don’t—and swipe right on someone that really catches your fancy (and fleeting attention span). If you can see it through, great (tell me how), otherwise something new always awaits.
A shared interest is the easiest way to form a connection and decide whether you should bother checking your horoscope compatibility. Often, people’s Tinder bios mention their favourite TV shows, movies, music and the attributes that define them. In a larger context, it becomes a reasonable yardstick to understand the pop culture obsessions that define a generation.
The modern-day Indian dater is big on ticking places off their travel bucket list, their daily cup of coffee, and whipping up a meal. According to new data released by Tinder, ‘wanderlust’, ‘coffee’ and ‘cook’ were among the top ten terms used in bios, with ‘coffee’ taking the number one spot. It was followed by ‘Netflix’, ‘chill’, ‘bae’ and’ feminist’. The order of ranking is quite telling, wouldn’t you say?
When it comes to TV shows, the series that’s trending on social media right now is trending on Tinder as well. Game of Thrones is the most mentioned show in bios, followed by the drama, Suits, the all-time favourite Friends, Breaking Bad and The Big Bang Theory.
The average Tinder user is also into ‘chai’, ‘pizza’, ‘biryani’, ‘ghar ka khaana’ and ‘fries’. Clearly, we love our fast food but also can’t do without our mom’s cooking or our cuppa. And no prizes for guessing what your Tinder date will probably order at the restaurant.
Drake manages to find the most mentions in the celebrity category, outdoing Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Alia Bhatt and Virat Kohli, who also feature in the list. It’s musicians > actors and cricketers for those who Tinder.
Looking at these most frequently used terms has just given me some hope. Perhaps someday I’ll find a feminist bae who loves cooking, Netflix and chilling while binging on pizza, and is not afraid to karaoke to Rihanna. Until then, I’ll keep swiping.
