Tinder Hearted

If you're like me, you are totally clueless when it comes to online dating applications. There's a bunch of them out there, but one of the most popular is something called Tinder.

If you're single, you're probably on Tinder. If you're happily coupled up, you've probably helped your single girlfriends swipe through the reams of desirable, and not so desirable, potential dates. You cannot escape it.

New research shows that there are 50 million active users on Tinder, who check their accounts 11 times per day and spend an average of 90 minutes per day on the app...

How does this Tinder app work?

It's really very simple and easy. It finds your location using GPS, then uses your Facebook information to create your profile (don't worry, nothing about Tinder will ever be posted to Facebook). A Tinder profile is made up only of your first name, age, photos (of your choice) and any pages you've 'liked' on Facebook.

Tinder then finds you potential matches near you (you can narrow it down by searching by age and distance) and if they take your fancy, you swipe right to 'like' them. If not, go left to 'pass'. If they’ve also 'liked' you – bingo. It’s a match and you can start messaging.

There's more at the link, but basically it's like going to a bar full of people who have already been screened by your friends.

- You 'like' people in the same way you would in a bar – on whether you find them attractive at first glance. A little shallow, yes, but let’s face it, it’s what we all do on a night out anyway.

- The mutual friends function means people almost come with references – if you’ve got 10 Facebook friends in common with a match, chances are you could be on to a winner.

- It’s easy to use on the run. The app’s designed for mobile users, and it shows. The layout’s clear and it’s simple to use.

So why should we (that is, us more mature adults who are already in established relationships) care about an online dating app for youngsters? Because:

Tinder Is Charging People Over 30 More

Tinder is taking an extra-large swipe at the wallets of users 30 and over who sign up for Tinder Plus, a premium service the dating app rolled out today in the United States.

For the unindoctrinated, Tinder allows users to swipe right on their smartphone if they're interested in a person and left if they are not. Many users swipe so fast that it's common to occasionally nix a person they would have otherwise been interested in meeting.

For the privilege of undoing the damage of an itchy Tinder finger, a.k.a. a left swipe, users can sign up for Tinder Plus for the price of $9.99 a month -- that is, if they're under 30 years old.

The 30-and-over crowd will have to pony up $19.99 per month for the service, which also allows subscribers to use a passport feature and swipe with potential matches around the world...

"Younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget constrained, and need a lower price to pull the trigger," Rosette Pambakian, vice president of corporate communications at Tinder, told ABC News in an email.

First of all, that's blatant age discrimination. Imagine If we mature folks had to pay a premium for other goods and services. The howls of outrage would echo through the halls of congress.

Second, doesn't this two-tiered pricing approach fly in the face of net neutrality. If charging more for a higher level of service is so evil when it comes to ISPs, how can app providers get away with it? Someone should report this to the FCC...