From his pictures, Bryce looked like the typical frat bro. Vineyard Vines pastel polo, salmon shorts, Sperry top-siders. That haircut that all college guys have — you know, the one that’s really short on the sides and longer up top. It’s not a bad haircut at all, it’s just…pretty ubiquitous.

In other words, Bryce wasn’t the typical guy I’d go for. He looked like the kind of guy searching for a quick hookup, not a relationship. I was about to swipe left and write him off when something in his bio caught my eye: “Appearances can be deceiving. …

I knew this was really cliché, but my Tinder profile bio, aside from basic information like my vocation (Graduate Student) and my age, also said something about what I was looking for in a boyfriend: “Partner in crime.” I know, I know, so cheesy.

But you know what? When I found Aaron’s profile, his bio said pretty much the same thing: “Looking for a partner in crime.” His statement was paired with a devil emoji, which I thought was kind of cute.

Luckily, we matched right away.

Aaron asked me out for popsicles at King of Pops, a pretty famous…

In Shay’s main profile picture on Tinder, he had a bleach-blonde crewcut, which suited him quite well. I swiped to see his other photos, and, surprisingly, each photo revealed a different hairstyle. In one photo he had chin-length brown braids; in another he had luscious auburn curls that flowed down to his chest. In yet another, he sported a bright green mohawk. He was a bit of a character, it seemed.

His bio had been simple and light on information, but when we matched and started messaging, it all clicked into place. He told me he had just graduated from…

My first thought when I saw Remy sitting in the bar was Wow. That’s quite a hat. On top of his head of dark curls, he was wearing a neon orange baseball cap with the word YOLO embroidered in bright magenta thread. It was, needless to say, a distinctive piece of headwear.

On Tinder, he hadn’t looked like the sort of guy to wear such a hat, but hey — to each his own. I sat down across from him and smiled.

“That’s quite a hat,” I said.

“I’m quite a guy,” he replied. Coming from almost anybody else, this…

As a healthcare researcher, consultant, epidemiologist, and writer, I’ve had a winding career path that has taken me through a variety of workplaces, each with its own distinct culture. Some employers that seemed intimidating at first turned out to be fantastic and supportive, while others that appeared great on the surface ended up as unfortunate disappointments.

Throughout my working life so far, I’ve learned to spot a few key signs of a disappointing, uncomfortable, or downright toxic work culture. That being said, sometimes a job is too irresistible even if you do recognize some of these signs. Either way, keep…

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a surgical mask in the United States connoted one of two things: you were a health care worker, or you were so gravely ill that people needed to avoid you at all costs.

Seeing a person wearing a mask in a place like the grocery store would make me, as I’m sure it would make many others, feel extremely uncomfortable. It never crossed my mind that a person would wear a mask to protect themselves. To me, wearing a mask meant you needed to protect others from whatever illness you were experiencing.

COVID-19 has changed…

Let me get one thing straight right off the bat: Barrett was an extremely good-looking guy, like movie star handsome. When I swiped right on his profile, I didn’t even expect a match; I honestly thought he was probably a bot or a catfish, but hey — it never hurts to try.

So, imagine my surprise when Tinder told me I’ve matched with Barrett. I was even more surprised when he messaged me first. He started out with a bit of banter and then dove right in, asking me out for dinner that weekend. He picked a place that was…

I don’t usually go on dinner dates; I really prefer grabbing drinks. Dinner is so formal, and there’s always the concern that I’ll take a bite of salad and fail to notice the huge piece of green stuck between my teeth. On top of that, of course, there’s the problem of potentially bad breath, along with my sometimes embarrassing dietary preferences as a gluten-free vegetarian.

But, deciding to step outside of my comfort zone, I said yes to a dinner date with Malcolm. He seemed nice enough, I was running out of groceries for a meal at home, and he…