Don't Tell Me I Can't......Use Tinder In My 50s

Katreen Hardt says the dating app isn’t just for millennials.

- Emma Rossiter

Swiping my way through pictures on my phone, I pause at one. It’s of a man with kind eyes and a cheerful smile. I swipe right and to my delight, we’re a match. Without hesitation, I type out a message to introduce myself. I know it might not be the usual tact – after all, from what I’m told, dating these days is all about playing games – waiting three days to text back, pretending you don’t like someone when you do. At 51, I’m not interested in all that. In my experience, it’s best to be direct.

Throughout my 20s and 30s I had a couple of serious relationships. Back then you met people at work, on nights out or through mutual friends. I was with one man for three years and we had a house together and a happy life, but in 2012, we began drifting apart and decided to split.