Although most folks under 30 have grown up with digital dating as the norm, those a bit older often don't have any idea how rough it can get out there in the world of swiping left and right. In a new BuzzFeed video, parents read their daughter's Tinder messages, and they are not amused by the Pandora's box of horrors they unleash.
The median age of Tinder users is 26, and the dating app boasts seven million monthly users who are pretty evenly spit gender-wise. Ask any woman about her experiences on dating apps, however, and they are likely to differ exponentially from your average dude's.
According to Instant Checkmate, a public records search engine, 42 percent of female online daters have felt harassed in their bid to meet someone new. The most common behaviors they've encountered include death threats and sexist or racist epithets directed at them. And the number one word used to insult a woman? "Bitch." Followed closely by "fat," of course. In short, it's not easy out there, and parents likely have no idea what their daughters are dealing with. Here's what dads and moms learned about what it's like to be a young woman on Tinder these days:
1
Dudes Like Juvenile Wordplay
Picture all the dumb sexist jokes your little brother came home spouting at 13. Now, picture them being typed out by an adult man to a total stranger.
2
Dudes Want Nudes
Send nudes: the most common request of them all.
3
Dudes Have Vivid Imaginations
For many guys, it's way more about fantasy than reality.
4
Dudes Aren't Subtle
When you're trying to date a stranger, sometimes short and sweet isn't the best way to express your interest.
After reading the misogynistic missives sent to their children, parents were none too pleased. So is romance dead asks the older generation? That's probably a question better left to philosophers and poets, but dating apps may not be doing it any favors — especially not for women.
