Top Dating Apps Used by Teens
Top Dating Apps Used by Teens
Youth cope with a tremendous amount of emotional, social, and physical changes during adolescence, and their peer relationships – especially romantic ones – are a major source of social interaction. Given how deeply engrained social media and digital tools are in youth lives and how rapidly these devices and platforms are changing, understanding the role these play in romantic relationships is critical.
It is natural to feel anxious when your teenager begins dating. Fear of your child growing up and leaving the nest is common. They may get hurt, overextended, manipulated, or heartbroken, which is something you fear. Even if it feels uncomfortable or scary to think that your child might have a romantic life, you should remember that seeing your child with someone they love is a normal, healthy, and essential part of their emotional development.
Teenage life can be described as an adventure. All your hormones crave is the most terrifying experiences. You just wouldn’t want to stop testing and trying everything, including teen dating apps.
Online dating has its perks – it makes approaching someone you’re interested in far less intimidating, especially if you’re shy. Your profile can be personalized so you can avoid making a bad first impression. There are way more people you have the chance to crush on than just a few you see every day at school. At the same time, the possible consequences of using dating apps cannot be ignored either.
There aren’t many dating apps that cater to teens, however, since most have fairly strict age restrictions. However, there are some decent options for under-21s out there, with more safety features and fewer sketchy hookups.
You can text and communicate and share memes with teens on teen dating apps before you decide to meet them. Our teens are the first to see if someone has friends in common, what posts they have shared, what other users have written about and to them, and what they have “liked” as soon as they meet someone online.
Is Tinder a Teen Dating App?
Teenagers between 18 and 19 are the only ones who can use Tinder. Underage users are banned from the app, and anyone found lying about their age would have their dating profile deleted.
It is only natural for mature teens to jump into Tinder, which is mainly populated by young professionals, but finding common ground with someone who has attended college or went to work is much more difficult.
Tinder isn’t recommended for young teens right now; instead, use other teen-friend dating sites. Currently, Tinder is only for users 18 and over. Therefore, everyone who uses the app is older than 18 (except for those who are dishonest about their age).
Teenagers have been banned from Tinder, but that doesn’t mean their days of swiping are over. Having said that, here are a few apps for teens to use if they’re interested in online dating.
- Yubo
This app, previously called ‘Yellow’ is known for helping young people ‘meet new people’ by encouraging them to go out and ‘get out there’. In essence, it’s more of a social community that lets people meet up via live stream. As early as the age of 13, up to the age of 25 – if you’re in this age bracket, you’ll have no problems finding a place here.
For the sake of safety, parental permission is required when creating an account, so you can be sure that there’s nothing funny going on. Yubo’s teen and adult communities are separated on the app, creating an even safer space.
- Hot or Not
The app started as a website and has undergone numerous revisions. It’s owned by the same company that made Badoo, another dating app/site, so they share many matchmaking profiles. Both apps function by swiping left or right and sharing location information and look almost identical.
Both Hot or Not and Badoo allow you to log in with your email address or Facebook account. Email signups require that you enter your birth date, which indicates you are at least 18 years old, however there is no verification of your age. Teenagers 13 and older can sign into Badoo using Facebook, but Hot or Not does not allow it. Teens under 18 can also access Hot or Not via Facebook, as it is also available there.
- eHarmony
For many years, eHarmony has been a successful dating app and website worldwide. If you’re looking for people in your own city, community, or worldwide, this is the best dating site. In addition to providing international preferences, this dating platform is popular for its unique user filters and different features.
Matching users with similar interests is fairly easy thanks to its intelligent algorithms. A special toolkit has been developed by the creators of this app that allows you to discover the best matches based on specific profiles. Plus, eHarmony’s developers consistently update the app to provide users with the best user experience.
- Taffy
In dating apps, you tend to make snap judgments based on profile pics – so you might end up rejecting your soulmate just because they’re different. Taffy’s coolest feature is that everyone’s profile is blurry at first, and as you get to know someone, their photo becomes more clear – so by the time you know how they look, you already understand what their personality is like.
- Our Teen Network
Our Teen Network offers a variety of features that will help you make friends, date, and hang out in your age range, including safe teen chat forums and fun social media usernames. Our Teen Network registration process, which is completely free, will ask you to provide the usual information, such as your name, gender, and city, but you will also be asked to provide unique information, such as your Kik or Snapchat username.
The appropriate sections of Our Teen Network will appear when one or both of these usernames are included in your dating profile. You may meet new people this way! Among Our Teen Network’s most interactive features, the teen forum offers you the chance to participate in ongoing discussions and make a real-life connection with others in the community.
- MyLOL
This website and app, billed as the “#1 teen dating site” in the United States and other countries, provides a platform for teens to create profiles, search online for potential matches, and chat with them. Users must be at least 13 years old and no older than 19 years old in order to create an account. According to MyLOL’s terms and conditions, anyone who registers with a false age will be permanently banned.
Besides, underage users are prohibited from posting “sexual propositions or innuendos” on the website. In the terms and conditions, it states that if you engage in this type of activity your account would be deleted and you would be reported to the police.
- Skout
As one of the under 18 dating sites, it actually has quite a small user base. It is necessary to be 17 or older to register on Skout and join this little circle of young adults. Location-based apps like this one match you with people in your local area, just like other adult dating apps. One could even compare it to Tinder.
By providing fun features such as ‘Shake to Chat,’ which lets you find people who are shaking their phones simultaneously, or travel features that let you start online flirting with people in other cities, this application keeps you entertained and helps you meet new people. The best part is that it’s free!
The Role of Parents
While you should not get too involved in your teen’s dating life, you may have to intervene from time to time. Speak up if you hear your teen making mean comments or manipulating others. You should also step in and help out your teen if he or she is exhibiting unhealthy behavior.
Teenagers have a short window of time between the time they begin dating and the time they enter the adult world. Help them prepare for romantic relationships in the future. Teenagers begin to learn about romantic relationships during adolescence, whether they suffer a heartbreak or break hearts.
Parents have a responsibility to keep their children safe and help them develop the skills they need to interact with others well. Teens should have fewer dating rules as they become more mature. It is best to set rules based on behavior, not necessarily age, for your teen.
Conclusion
Young people are more likely to place a stronger emotional attachment to online-only relationships than to friends and family they are around in real life due to the nature of the online world.
Various dating apps can be found in the market, but few of them encourage teens to use them. Since teens can join these apps for free, it has become easier for them to talk to strangers. Although many claim there are safe dating apps, anyone can join them if they pretend to be someone else. That should not be taken lightly.
