A swipe in the right direction? Modern relationships put out to Tinder
It's a dating app that epitomises the cliche about 'judging a book by its cover', but what does Tinder say about the way we do relationships, and when is too young to start swiping?
Wollongong youth psychologist Virginia Williams says that if you think your child won't dabble in a mobile dating app, you're wrong.
The Tinder app has been a global phenomenon that allows users to swipe left or right over a picture of a person who lives nearby to indicate if they're interested in them.
If the same two people indicate they're keen on each other, they are connected.
"It troubles me most that it feels like my value is hinged on what I look like, and mental health and other well-being challenges come from those pressures," Virginia says.
"Those pictures also end up in the public domain which is a big concern for adults and parents helping children set good limits for those things."
Tinder is like a speed date, but with no initial talking, and even speedier.
Users have their Facebook profile pictures posted, and you make a call on how attractive you find them in a matter of seconds.
It takes the ice breaking meeting point out of the equation, and Virginia Williams says that can be a positive thing sometimes.
"This is a convenience thing - it allows people to have a better chance of meeting someone, especially if you feel shy or your self-belief is not great.
"You can put the information forward and say things your words won't let you say when you feel self-conscious."
But it's the next step that poses an interesting reflection on how we approach and begin relationships.
Technically, the process of leaving the house, spotting someone you find attractive and approaching them is gone.
Virginia says that while Tinder is designed mainly for meeting in the first instance, as social media impacts more on dating, people could be losing vital skills to a successful relationship.
"Maybe we're setting ourselves up to fail more - relationships are very hard work and it may send a message that's its easy and I can just like you and we'll hook up.
"At the end of the day, part of relationships is being able to communicate under conflict and find a way through when things are tricky.
"No matter what the app, that's hard work."
She's also concerned about young people taking dating apps too seriously and it impacting on the already increasing pressure to look good.
She says it's got worse compared to when she was at school.
And if you're always 'judging a book by its cover', you can miss out on meeting other friends.
"There are people you initially didn't warm to straight away, but when you go back they might end up being important in our lives," she says.
"If we had the chance to shut the door, [we would miss that] - yes it's convenient, but does it limit our chance to have meaningful relationships?"
She encourages parents to assume their children will be using apps like Tinder, and to tell them they want to be part of checking up on its use, and to ensure privacy settings are high.
"Just like anything else they'll be involved in that involves risk, we need to know about it and communicate up front that you want to be part of monitoring it."