There is a good chance that you, the reader, use Facebook. After all, according to online records, around 91 percent of social media users in Nepal are on Facebook. But do you also use Tinder, the glob­al ‘dating and hook-up’ app with over 100 million downloads? Of the 100 people between 20 and 32 that we surveyed, 26 said they were on Tinder. Yet there were also folks like Priya, a 24-year-old working woman who wants to use the app but is scared of doing so lest “my relatives find out.” One thing is for sure: Tinder is gaining in popularity in Nepal.

 

Sociologist Pranab Kharel sees this trend as a part of the evolution of the Nepali society over the past three decades. Compared to the past, the young people today have “a lot of autonomy when it comes to choosing romantic partners,” and technology makes it easier for them to do so. Today’s generation is more open too. Yet among those we interviewed for this article, men were much more forthcoming about their Tinder use.

 

Milipa Thapa, 24, says she started using Tinder when she got “bored of her single life”. Jimi, 32, a musician, uses it “just like Facebook messen­ger.” Likewise, Pooja Khati, 24, a journalist, who has been on Tinder on and off finds the app “shallow” yet continues to use it. Some believe Tinder makes communication easier for those interested in each other. “Swiping right [on Tinder] basically implies that you are attracted to that person so communication becomes smoother,” says Abishake Shakya, 22, an engineer. Shubham KC, 21, recommends Tinder for everyone: “It does not matter if it is for a casual hook-up, long term relationship or just for informal chat.”

 

Could there be a better reflection of a country that is rapidly changing on the back of new technology?

 

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