Parents' Guide to

Tinder

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Photo/location matchmaking app too risky for kids.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire , Windows app Free Lifestyle
Tinder Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Tinder App: Screenshot #1
  • Tinder App: Screenshot #2
  • Tinder App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 14 parent reviews

John B.
John B. Parent of 15-year-old
August 30, 2023
age 9+

Whats the Problem about Tinder?

Honestly I don't see any problems about this app. This is a good app for people to connect with each other. My next door neighbours, Mr and Mrs Glencross met on Tinder and they are pretty nice people they have a daughter whos very good friends with my daughter, my wife is very good friends with Mrs Glencross and I go to the bar with Mr Glencross every night. I think that people who have never used Tinder just think its full of creepy sugar daddys looking for young gold diggers to have a bit of fun with but actually its full of just normal people looking for someone to love. I think you should give your kids this app.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
1 person found this helpful.
nduns
nduns Adult
June 5, 2018
age 18+

A good idea, though hasn't been very successful for me

First off, to the many people complaining about this app, guys, this is meant for adults. This is not an app for kids. It's not the app's fault that hebephiles (Yeah, there's a difference) use it. Anyway, the idea is good. You can either use this app to find love or just make new friends. In fact, if you specifically state you're just looking for friendship, weirdos surprisingly leave you alone. Honestly, I still can't completely wrap my head around that. However, while I give it a pass for the idea, I can't give it any higher because I have had no success with this app. I have liked and even super liked multiple people and have gotten no matches, despite the fact that I mainly like/super like those with the same interests as me. Is it really so much to ask for one person to respond? Granted, I've been having similar results with the more family friendly equivalent, Bumble. I'm starting to think I'm just unlucky when it comes to dating/friendship apps despite the fact that it's the exact opposite on forums and, heck, even real life.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
1 person found this helpful.
See all 14 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Create a TINDER account using your Facebook account and enable GPS tracking on your phone. Enter your profile picture, name, age, location, and other biographical information you choose to share. View the photos of potential matches in your area that appear on your device's screen. Swipe right to "like" or left to "pass." If someone "likes" your photo back, you can communicate with that person by sending or receiving a message. Snap a photo with your device and share with all your Tinder matches at once. Tinder is app-style speed dating with the swipe of a finger.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (9 ):

Although it may be an online version of the way a lot of public in-person matches happen -- first-look impressions leading to brief conversations -- the app's reputation as a spot to find casual sex means it's not a good place for teens. Also, the constant focus on "liking" and "passing" on people's images with only a brief glance turns dating into a purely physical, impersonal game of judging people on appearance. Its importance in the modern dating scene may be debatable, but the fact that it's inappropriate for teens is not.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about age appropriateness. Tinder is designed for older teens and adults, and updates to the terms of use indicate that it's only for those 18 and up.

  • Tinder's looks-only "like" or "pass" matchmaking style may send some users into a self-criticism frenzy if they don't receive a lot of "likes." Read Common Sense's blog post "Is Social Media Giving Your Teen a Negative Body Image?" 

  • What are your family's rules for safe teen dating? Discuss with your teens what you expect from them and what they should expect from others to be safe when it's time to enter the dating world.  

App Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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