Not to be dramatic, but technology has taken over the world. Right after I wrote this I instinctively pressed the home button on my phone to see if I had any notifications. Nothing there, but what did I expect? The last time I checked was a whole two minutes ago.

I can righteously say that technology has permeated every aspect of our lives because most of us cannot even think about living without our phones, a.k.a. our safety blankets. Everything we’ve ever done is recorded online, and our lives could be hacked in the blink of an eye. But hey, it’s not all bad and scary. We can order anything and everything to our front door, like chicken nuggets, iPhone dongles, and even dates (the human kind…but the fruit too).

“Dates!? No way,” you might be pondering. Or you’re more, “I know exactly where you’re going with this please get to the point.”

Well, the point is, romance is not dead. It has simply taken another form. Dating is now easier than ever! Now I sound like an overenthusiastic salesman, but it’s honestly crazy to think about how easy it is to meet new people these days. In just a matter of minutes, you can make a profile, add some fun and flirty pictures of yourself, and wait for the date offers to roll into your inbox.

And that is exactly what I did one fine Tuesday afternoon in the name of research. As you’ve probably seen, “dating apps” nowadays aren’t just for dating. You can also network, make friends, and attend events hosted by these app companies. What a crazy world we live in.

But of all the fish in the sea, the app that peaked my interest the most was Bumble.

Bumble empowers women by putting the power in our hands; it lets us make the first move, boasts its own distinct brand, and provides options for networking and finding friends outside of dating. What more could a girl want? Okay she could want cool merchandise. But wait, they have that too. Branding is key these days and Bumble and their brand representatives are all over it with a stronghold in their target environment: college. They even send you push notifications telling you “you’re amazing” and a bunch of people are interested in meeting you. Bumble is practically my new source of self-affirmation.

Anyway, I’ll stop with all the Bumble promo…don’t even work there but I know you love my strong salesmanship techniques. So back to my research, I made an account, picked some pictures where I looked like I was having fun, and set my dating preferences. Then the fun began. Swipe, swipe, swipe. Of course, I was too afraid to swipe right on anyone at first and only did when I came across guys I knew, but I figured -- for research purposes, of course – that I would eventually have to swipe right on someone that wasn’t my friend. How thrilling. I also found that they have a backtrack option, because everyone makes mistakes.

As a researcher, I was particular about who I swiped right on. Throughout my research I found that if the man had a cute dog in his profile picture, he was 9 times out of 10 guaranteed a swipe right from me. Once, I matched with a beautiful young blonde lab. Naturally, I was more focused on the dog than the man so when I decided to chat him I informed him that his dog was “very beautiful” and he is a lucky dog owner, but “I have a boyfriend.”

Bumble’s goal to empower women through inverting stereotypical gender norms in dating (where the boy has to ask the girl) is promising. It shows us that not only is romance strong and alive, but that romance has taken on feminist forms as well. Courtship has moved from ballrooms to chat rooms, but regardless, people still fall in love.

I personally don’t know how I feel about this. I find it unsettling that technology has spread into even more aspects of our life, but I guess it’s also exciting. Swiping right and left on people made me feel in power and there was a rush when “You matched!” popped up on my phone screen. I still get butterflies when I meet someone new. Our lives are slowly inching closer and closer to becoming a Black Mirror episode. But for now, everything is all good. No harm in a little flirtation. I’m going to keep swiping.

By Arden Schraff

Duke Student, mental health activist and resident goddess making Insta casual. 

Content Curation by Cassie Joseph