If you’ve been looking for a Tinder for Teens, you’ve got to the right place. Since 2016, Tinder has age-restricted the use of its app, and people below 18 can no longer use the app.
However, there are alternatives to Tinder that are either just for teens or do not have age restriction. This means that teenagers can still find their next date or friend online.
Online dating comes with its own set of perks such as being able to approach anybody you like by the convenience of sitting on your couch, especially if you are not a person who likes to leave their comfort zone. Don’t think your first impression looks right? Change your pictures and interests and you can change your outlook to the way you want.
Tinder for teens
While many people view Tinder as a dating app, a lot of its users are there just for making friends and connections in a platonic way like they would do on another social media platform.
Since people swipe on others based on interests, they can use it to form friendships too, because similar interests are not only necessary in a romantic relationship.
Next, we’ll list several Tinder alternatives that are legally available for youngsters.
Tinder alternatives for teenagers
Bumble Bumble is an app similar to Tinder. However, this application has one amazing feature that makes it much better for teens than Tinder. It is that women make the first move.
Considering how it can potentially remove most of the creepy texts and unsolicited pictures, while also saving men the hassle of coming up with a pickup line, it is a great choice for teens. Yubo Yubo is the blend of Snapchat and Tinder. Formerly known as Yellow, Yubo is almost like the app Tinder, with the swipe feature and is also referred to as the Tinder for teens.
With being able to send pictures as you would on Snapchat, and converse with four other friends on video calls, Yubo is quite popular and has over 25 million users. Happn Ever wanted to find out who in your school is looking for a date? Well, happn has set its interface to show the distance of each person and how far they are from you.
This means that teens can now stick to their locality which makes it much safer. Also, restricting the age makes sure you do not meet creeps around the area. Mylol Mylol is a popular dating app and website that is highly popular in the US and other countries. Mylol allows you to search for users based on preferences and interests.
To use the app, you must be at least 13 years old. A unique feature of the app is that by shaking your phone, the app will match you with a random user with whom you can start chatting. Skout Skout features age limit. It is a dating app that limits young people to only match with other teenagers that are at most 17 years old.
Because the app only asks for basic personal information such as name, age, gender, and hometown, which does not allow excess information to be revealed about a user.
Use of Tinder by teens
Since Tinder has set a legal age, many younger users have started registering themselves as over 18 despite being minors.
Even though Tinder tries to spot underage people, there is still no proper way of Tinder verifying your age other than through Facebook profile as it doesn’t require age verification.
It is best to report if you do spot a teenager on Tinder, or apps that restrict their age to 18 and above as this is the best for them. Young teens can be safe from potential harm and save others from dealing with legal issues for unknowingly flirting with underage individuals.
Benefits of Tinder alternatives
Tinder alternatives such as Skout, Yubo, and Mylol were designed not only for dating. These apps allow your children to meet new people in their age group without having to worry about any potential creeps.
Complications of using Tinder alternatives
Although these apps provide ample security when it comes to privacy protection and individual interaction, there are risks that underage users may end up talking to the wrong person online.
The dating apps might be filled with ingenuine people, who can be scammers, catfishers, and people who put unsolicited pictures which may not be a good influence and can also affect the mental health of the child.
How to responsibly use dating apps as a teen
Not everybody you find on the internet is honest about their identity. Nobody can ever be sure whether the person they are talking to on Tinder is who they say to be, and you should avoid meeting them in person.
Never give out your personal information to a stranger no matter how close you get to them on social media till you are sure and have verified it properly. Avoid giving them your address, email, your phone number, or any information that could harm or expose you to danger.
If you do notice anyone who is acting suspicious or is creeping you out with inappropriate content, report them right away. Block them, tell your parents, and if things go out of hand you can also report to the police.
It is important to tell your parents about your current relationships and what you are doing on social media and dating apps. Parents always want to protect their kids from danger and if they allow you to use Tinder, be sure to let them keep a watch over you or keep them informed so that if any problems do occur, they can react in time.
Also, do not fall into peer pressure or jealousy if others do have relationships at your age, finding the right person is a time-consuming process after all.
The ideal method is to slowly enter the dating world by first making new friends and then developing relations slowly. That way, when you do reach the age of 18, you get the gist of dating online and will be able to see if you are interested in it.
Parental watch on dating apps
Whether you are a teenager or a parent reading this, teens need to be in constant connection with their parents. Even though you cannot completely protect your teen from the dangers of online dating, it limits the chances to a very small number.
Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that even if there is no proper relation and control between the parents and the child, it is crucial to be informed about dating apps.
Even though most of the personal information can be hidden, the problem with Tinder and such dating apps is that it lets the person know how near you are to a person. There is still a danger that your teen is exposed to catfishers and sexual predators.
If underage teens end up using a dating app that’s similar to Tinder, it is important to let them know of the issues and problems with it and suggest safer alternatives such as the ones listed above.
Wrap up
Tinder and other dating apps are always available and can be accessed anytime by anybody, so it is impossible not to be exposed to them. While you use dating apps, making sure you stay safe online should be the top priority nevertheless.
We hope our alternatives for Tinder would help you establish healthy relationships while not compromising on privacy. Other related articles that may be interesting for you:
