Swiping left and right: Dating at UK in the digital age

County, Kentucky, also agreed that dating apps have changed dating interactions.

“It could go either way, because it’s kind of awkward to run into somebody that you’ve matched with, but it’s also nice to match with people and have a connection,” Swartz said.

While navigating dating apps is seen as difficult by some, Sophia Macre, a landscape architecture major at UK, believes students use dating apps for different reasons.

“I think people use dating apps because they are bored, at least that’s what it was for me. I went to the University of Arizona before this and I had no friends, so that was a good way for me to meet people,” Macre said.

Alex Alston, a marketing and finance major from London, England, agreed that dating apps are “an easy way to meet new people.” in the U.S., three out of every 10 adults use some kind of dating app, and 53% are under the age of 30. Hinge, Tinder and Bumble are among the most popular dating apps.

The use of dating apps on campus received mixed reviews.

Brady Trosper, a civil engineering major, shared a similar sentiment.

“I think dating apps have made relationships more short-term and made them less focused on the person and more on the idea of the person,” Trosper said. “Neg - atively, it desensitizes people and treats them like they are not real, but positively, there are people who get married from dating apps.”

Karalyne Swartz, an information communication technology major from Bath

A few students like Leibold and Trosper agreed that it really depends on what the person is looking for. Leibold believes people’s intentions make dating apps positive or negative.

Each student discussed that while dating apps can be positive, they do fuel “hookup culture” and shortterm relationships.