Tinder Australia has entered a new partnership with schoolies.com, a website that runs parties and other events for teens as they graduate from Year 12.
The site is one of the leading brands associated with Schoolies Week, a three-week multi-city graduation festival that sees thousands of young Australians travel to celebrate their achievements.
Schoolies were encouraged to download Tinder and “make the most of every SINGLE moment” over the summer. They can use the dating app to unlock “exclusive experiences” during the festivities.
The company’s messaging read: “Because we know single never has to go home early, knows all the best places and goes home with the wildest stories.”
The partnership has received some criticism in Australian media, with cyber safety expert Matthew Warren telling 7NEWS: “The problem with a lot of these technologies is that people can misrepresent themselves, develop these false personas, especially if they’re trying to exploit people.”
The publication raised the possibility of ‘Toolies’ – older individuals who attend Schoolies Week to meet teens – using Tinder dishonestly.
‘Foolies’, people who haven’t yet left school but attend the events anyway, could also be present on the app. Many of these individuals, also known as ‘Pre-Schoolies’, are under 18 years of age.
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