Believe the media hype about Tinder and you also know it while the epicenter of youthfulness hookup society. The software is consistently affected by accusations of marketing relaxed sex, but a current survey from university tasks startup WayUp says the notion of Tinder could possibly be a long way off from its real life.

The study requested 200 university students regarding their matchmaking practices. Seventy-three % rated Tinder as their favored relationship app, followed by Bumble at 13per cent and OkCupid at 10per cent. A lone student noted Facebook as her dating website of preference.

It’s not a surprise that students reveal a solid inclination for Tinder. These were amongst Tinder’s a lot of energetic consumers as soon as the app launched in 2012, and after this Tinder states 50percent of their users can be found in the college age bracket.

Furthermore surprising is exactly what it is said they can be deploying it for. Twenty per cent stated they’re wanting a hookup, 27per cent mentioned they can be selecting an important some other, as well as the majority – at 53per cent – stated they normally use online dating applications to get buddies.

So is the fact that Tinder’s strong, dark secret? It’s not the sex-fueled free-for-all every person thinks it really is?

Both university students and experts believe the study actually an exact representation on the dating landscaping. Sydney Mastandrea, a sophomore at University of Miami, told CNN revenue, «I think people utilize [Tinder] for random sugar mummy hookups instead of [finding] friends — but state it really is for ‘friends’ so they are not evaluated.»

Aditi Paul, a Ph.D. candidate researching online dating sites at Michigan condition college, feels college students don’t need an app to help with locating friendships, once the college experiences supplies a great deal of possibilities for personal socializing.

And/or college students say «friendship» because they don’t really know what they can be obtaining. Kathleen Bogle, teacher and author of setting up: Sex, Dating, and relations on Campus, informed Inside greater Ed the tendency for college students to utilize the word could result from their unique proclivity for unlabeled enchanting interactions. Without an even more formal phrase, they default to «friendship» to keep their options open.

«I’m not sure that I do believe that individuals basically attempting to make buddies via Tinder and have not one intentions beyond that,» Bogle said. «I think that is only an indication of getting prepared for whatever takes place, takes place.»

Rosette Pambakian, vice president of marketing and sales communications at Tinder, requires a far more open-minded look at the application form. In 2014, she told Elle, «the reason ended up being never just for matchmaking, it was for personal discovery generally speaking … The co-founders desired to develop a truly efficient option to fulfill people around you the person you probably would have never met before.»

Ultimately, no matter to Tinder. Whether university students seek friendships, hookups, or lasting really love, they are still by using the software. To get more about service, look for all of our breakdown of Tinder