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8 Tinder strategies that will help your online dating life
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Looking for the right online date? Tinder's here for you. And so is this list of strategies to help you get the most out of the app. - photo by Herb Scribner
Youre faced with a choice swipe left or swipe right. Thats the premise of Tinder, the online dating app thats been sweeping the nation in recent years.

Among the 40 million people who engage in online dating, 13 million are using Tinder overall with 10 million using it on a daily basis, research suggests. The app has made more than 1 billion matches, exceeding its previous goals of 1 million and 500 million, according to Tech Crunch.

So with all of these users on Tinder 53 percent being aged 18 to 24, the largest of any demographic different strategies have been created to meet the right people.

Heres a look at eight successful strategies, some ridiculous and some calculated, that people have used on Tinder since its inception:

The power swipe

Swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe.

This strategy is as simple as swiping right on every single person that comes your way, giving yourself high odds of finding someone who will swipe right for you, too. The Daily Dot highlighted this strategy in a recent piece, looking into why it is so popular among males.

It seems like it has less to do with not being picky, and more to do with the recognition that there are more men than women on most dating apps; so if youre male, swiping right indiscriminately increases the chance of getting matches, wrote EJ Dickson for The Daily Dot. Thats not so much a reflection of the inherent difference between men and womens attitudes toward online dating, as it is a simple numbers game.

The cupcake

This guy has got one sweet strategy. To appeal to the swipers with a sweet tooth, a Colorado man, Lee Breslouer, made his main picture a cupcake, and the results were pretty positive, The Elite Daily reported.

Breslouer started to get more and more traction on Tinder, The Elite Daily reported. Granted, the messages were sometimes creepy but others were clearly amused by his humorous take on dating and his unique approach.

The thoughtful approach

Want to get serious with someone? Take the thoughtful approach by reading through all of someones information, checking out their photos, and making sure they're really a right fit for you.

The coach

You dont always have to go it alone. Tinder coaches are available. TinderUs is a service that helps you get matches and find some success with swiping. It costs $50, and it is in the BETA phase, so be cautious with this one.

The confidence booster

So youre swiping along and your friend pops up. Do you give them the left because youre just friends or go right, since youre trying to give them the confidence boost? You may want to swipe right on this one, since your friend may give you the confidence booster, too.

But be careful with the friend swipe. As Tinderella of Gizmodo notes, you dont want to give off the wrong impression.

Its similar fare for friends outside of the office, Tinderella wrote. If you happen upon them on Tinder, you have to be the bigger person and think of the implications on the broader friend circle before you swipe.

The traveler

Caught in Chicago and your flight is delayed? Tinder could help you get a quick date for the night, and help you expand your horizons, pushing you into a deep pool of people.

For me, it fills a number of functions, wrote Siena for Yahoo! Travel. First, theres curiosity: I know how the New York dating pool looks, but what if I lived in L.A.? Or Athens? Or Nicaragua or Brazzaville?

The mysterious play

Want a connection that goes beyond the physical? Try withholding photos from your profile. This strategy will definitely alert you early to the people only looking for fun, so thats a positive if you're interested in getting serious. But beware that some users may not view your account because they'll think you are fake or inactive.

The tiger

Yes, this is actually a thing.

Men have been posing for their Tinder pictures with tigers, starting up a sub-culture of Tinder users called Tinder Guys with Tigers. While this has gained popularity in recent months, legislation may be sending it into extinction, according to RYOT.

Happy swiping!
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.