Tinder: the dating app that is sweeping across campuses across the nation. Available for both iPhone and Android, Tinder has grown exponentially from the day it launched.

Unlike other dating apps or websites, Tinder relies on matches purely based on location and looks. “Matches” appear and a Tinder user flicks the strangers’ photos either right or left, depending on whether they appeal to the user in that instant. If a user whom you have “approved” of similarly approves of you, the app enables the two of you to chat and, presumably, meet up.

The rate at which this application has spread shows it is immensely popular, but it hasn’t escaped derision and scorn from all parties.

Some are quick to say that the way the app shows only pictures as a form of identification objectifies the women who use it. However, it does the same exact thing to men who use it, with women being similarly able to discard potential mates with a swipe of their thumb.

Yet another argument could be made that it isn’t safe to randomly meet people who you don’t know. That’s very true — but it holds for all dating sites and applications. Whether you know that a match shares your interest in 19th century Russian literature or all you know about them is the color of their hair, it isn’t safe to meet them alone.

A more common criticism is that there is no possible way to get to know someone with just a name and a face. On other dating sites, you can find mutual interests and look at a computed “compatibility rating,” though whether or not that is actually accurate is another matter. On Tinder, users make a split-second decision on the compatibility of a stranger based solely on looks.

Doesn’t sound like much of a dating app, does it?

That’s because it isn’t. The purpose of Tinder is not to meet interesting, complex individuals who want to take you to dinner and slowly woo you with charm and wit. You and your Tinder match ups are unlikely to share a bottle of wine over fine food at a restaurant, discussing favorite films. You’re unlikely to learn each other’s middle names, mother’s names or, frankly, even last names.

Though the company that created Tinder claims it has produced 50 marriage proposals, that’s a slim percentage of the 2 million matches that happen on average every day. The Tinder application isn’t made for those two people who are fated to be together but kept apart through day-to-day complexities and twists in destiny’s chain. Tinder is made for people looking for more temporary, more instantly gratifying relations.

Tinder isn’t a dating application: It is a hook-up application. Let’s stop pretending that it is so bad users are judged by a picture alone when it is all about the physical, the instantaneous. Whether it’s a one-night stand or a series of bedroom romps, most Tinder users are looking for the same thing: sex.

In our current society, it is easy to jump to the conclusion an app selling sex is bad, evil or immoral. But think for a moment — sex isn’t a rarity in college towns, and Tinder is perhaps an enabler but by no means a creator of promiscuity.

In a college community where weekends are dominated by short skirts, bar crawls and dollar draws, sex is hardly an uncommon goal. All Tinder does is offer yet another avenue for individuals with that goal in mind. It is more discreet than going out to the bars with all of your skin showing, yet simultaneously more effective as your name and face get more views than they ever would at Welch Ave. Station or Thumbs.

For those who argue that it is immoral or wrong for an app to promote casual sexual relations, there is a fairly simple solution: Don’t use it. If you think it is wrong or bad that people out there are hooking up without knowing a single thing about each other, don’t be part of it. Real dating sites, coffee shops, dance classes — there are endless opportunities for more traditional relationship creation. Chances are, if you’re the type to disdain Tinder and its users, your future spouse will be too.

If you’re looking for love and romance, wooing and swooning and long walks on the beach, it is probably best to avoid Tinder entirely. But if you’re looking for sex, entertainment or even just a bit of an ego boost, then there’s no reason not to download the application now. Just be aware that you might run into more than a few creeps. As long as you really understand the intent of the app (and the intent of those who use it) Tinder can be fun, even if it is just for a laugh.