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| Tinder Doesn’t Contribute to Hookup Culture (Says Tinder) | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Like a person scorned after a bad date, the tech company Tinder went a little bit crazy on social media on Tuesday after Vanity Fair published an article blaming technology for the death of dating. | |
| The article, “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse,’ ” was not just about Tinder — there is a wider Internet at work, the writer Nancy Jo Sales suggested. But the app, which lets users quickly swipe left to signal rejection or right to signal interest, was used to illustrate the problems young daters face when technology fuses short attention spans with too many options. | The article, “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse,’ ” was not just about Tinder — there is a wider Internet at work, the writer Nancy Jo Sales suggested. But the app, which lets users quickly swipe left to signal rejection or right to signal interest, was used to illustrate the problems young daters face when technology fuses short attention spans with too many options. |
| On its official Twitter account, Tinder took issue with the report’s suggestion that its dating app was fueling a culture of casual sex. | On its official Twitter account, Tinder took issue with the report’s suggestion that its dating app was fueling a culture of casual sex. |
| Tinder’s defense continued for more than 30 posts. The outrage was not lost on Twitter users, who relished the opportunity to point out that Tinder was being awfully thin-skinned. | Tinder’s defense continued for more than 30 posts. The outrage was not lost on Twitter users, who relished the opportunity to point out that Tinder was being awfully thin-skinned. |
| One post came under particular scorn. Tinder said it helped people find friends and make connections in places where Internet use is restricted. | One post came under particular scorn. Tinder said it helped people find friends and make connections in places where Internet use is restricted. |
| The claim that Tinder had “many users” in North Korea prompted a few creative memes featuring that country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and many derisive questions about the extent of Tinder’s user base in China and North Korea. Both countries maintain strict controls on the Internet, and information in general. | The claim that Tinder had “many users” in North Korea prompted a few creative memes featuring that country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and many derisive questions about the extent of Tinder’s user base in China and North Korea. Both countries maintain strict controls on the Internet, and information in general. |
| A Tinder spokeswoman, Rosette Pambakian, reiterated the company’s claim in an email. “We have users in all 196 countries, including China and North Korea,” she said. “We cannot disclose additional information on our user base there.” | A Tinder spokeswoman, Rosette Pambakian, reiterated the company’s claim in an email. “We have users in all 196 countries, including China and North Korea,” she said. “We cannot disclose additional information on our user base there.” |
| Facebook is blocked in China, which makes it difficult to use Tinder there, since the app asks users to log in through Facebook. Such restrictions can be bypassed by virtual private networks, services that allow users to reach the Internet as if they were coming from outside China’s firewall. | Facebook is blocked in China, which makes it difficult to use Tinder there, since the app asks users to log in through Facebook. Such restrictions can be bypassed by virtual private networks, services that allow users to reach the Internet as if they were coming from outside China’s firewall. |
| Still, Tinder is seen largely as a service for foreigners in China, where it faces several domestic competitors. Momo, which made its debut in late 2011 and claims more than 78 million active users, is often called the “Tinder of China.” And the app WeChat, used by more than 600 million people worldwide, is where most young Chinese do the bulk of their digital flirting. | Still, Tinder is seen largely as a service for foreigners in China, where it faces several domestic competitors. Momo, which made its debut in late 2011 and claims more than 78 million active users, is often called the “Tinder of China.” And the app WeChat, used by more than 600 million people worldwide, is where most young Chinese do the bulk of their digital flirting. |
| In North Korea, there is much less opportunity for an app like Tinder to find an audience. Beyond a handful of elites, including people who work in specialized jobs like research and publishing state propaganda online, North Koreans do not have access to the Internet. The isolated, authoritarian state does have an intranet, Kwangmyong, which offers a limited selection of censored, domestic content. | In North Korea, there is much less opportunity for an app like Tinder to find an audience. Beyond a handful of elites, including people who work in specialized jobs like research and publishing state propaganda online, North Koreans do not have access to the Internet. The isolated, authoritarian state does have an intranet, Kwangmyong, which offers a limited selection of censored, domestic content. |
| Vicky Mohieddeen, creative project manager for Koryo Tours, a travel company that leads regular trips to North Korea, said she had never heard of anyone there using Tinder. | Vicky Mohieddeen, creative project manager for Koryo Tours, a travel company that leads regular trips to North Korea, said she had never heard of anyone there using Tinder. |
| “There is limited Internet access,” Ms. Mohieddeen said by telephone from Beijing, where the tour company is based. “There are very few foreigners based permanently there. I don’t think there’s enough that you need to swipe to see who is there.” | “There is limited Internet access,” Ms. Mohieddeen said by telephone from Beijing, where the tour company is based. “There are very few foreigners based permanently there. I don’t think there’s enough that you need to swipe to see who is there.” |
| While foreigners in North Korea can gain access to the Internet, few tourists want to pay for expensive 3G mobile service, Ms. Mohieddeen said. But some, she said, are quick to log into Tinder once they cross the border back into China. | While foreigners in North Korea can gain access to the Internet, few tourists want to pay for expensive 3G mobile service, Ms. Mohieddeen said. But some, she said, are quick to log into Tinder once they cross the border back into China. |
| “The minute they got to Dandong, they’ve switched on their phones and have gone on Tinder,” she said, referring to a Chinese border city. “We’ve had that.” | “The minute they got to Dandong, they’ve switched on their phones and have gone on Tinder,” she said, referring to a Chinese border city. “We’ve had that.” |
| Ms. Sales, the writer for Vanity Fair, continued to defend her reporting on Wednesday morning. | Ms. Sales, the writer for Vanity Fair, continued to defend her reporting on Wednesday morning. |
| On Wednesday, Tinder issued a statement acknowledging its outburst. | On Wednesday, Tinder issued a statement acknowledging its outburst. |
| “Our intention was to highlight the many statistics and amazing stories that are sometimes left unpublished, and, in doing so, we overreacted,” the company said. | “Our intention was to highlight the many statistics and amazing stories that are sometimes left unpublished, and, in doing so, we overreacted,” the company said. |