Here we go… another online dating application is the latest single trend.

The age old tale of never judge a book by its cover is out the window. The dismissive nature of swipe left, swipe right appeals to that superficial ego in us all. For a lot of people, physical attraction in those first few seconds is crucial and a lack of it spells the end of love before it even began.

But what about the traditional world of dating? What if we actually like to learn a little more about a person? Crazy as it may seem, there’s a charm to the awkwardness of the first date. Getting to know someone a little better, spending too much of your pay on a hot new dress ala Carrie Bradshaw. While Tinder might get right to the under the sheet issues, can it really end in a happy ever after relationship?

Let’s make it easy for you with a good old fashioned Pros and Cons list!

PROS

• You know (or hope) the person you are chatting with is single
• There’s no rejection to worry about. If someone doesn’t like you, they will never know how you felt
• You all ready know you’re attracted to them
• You know the person you are chatting with is a person and in your area
• You know they are open to dating
• It’s free!
• No matter what happens, you’ll get some great stories out of it.

CONS

• It is definitely a “hot or not” game (Isn’t this the premise behind Facebook’s build?)
• No Facebook, No Tinder. (Our handy hint? To avoid the occasional awkwardness you can tell Tinder to not set you up with your Facebook friends!)
• Without a doubt, many people see Tinder only as a new aged booty call.
• Many conversations go nowhere. And we mean many.
• It created superficiality in the dating world
• You don’t know if the person you’re chatting to is also chatting to 10 other women

All in all? The odds of finding a serious relationship on Tinder are like the odds of finding a serious relationship on a drunken night out in Kings Cross. Possible, but not that likely. We’re definitely not going to say it can’t happen – in fact we’ve noticed a trend. You know, that couple that whisper that they met in Tinder six months ago. It’s just that the chances of it happening are rather low.

Environment, mindset and timing all play a part in finding your perfect match. No matter what, so much of dating is about being in the right place at the right time, virtually or not! While Tinder might be bringing the booty call into a new digital age, its influence on dating really hasn’t been that great.

If you want to get to know someone, there are better ways to do it, even online. Other dating sites dig a lot deeper than just a profile pic and even if we hate eHarmony ads as much as you do? The more you understand another person, the more inclined you are to want to date them.

Final verdict: Swipe left.