A new dating app exclusively for the girls has made its way to Georgetown.
Tea was born with the mission to create a safe dating tool for women. The app crowdsources information from its users to combat catfishing, dating violence, and provide background checks on men, creating a way for women to check who they match with online or meet in person. More than 11 million women nationwide are registered with the app.
On college campuses, the app has turned into a review system for women exploring the college dating pool. Women can post pictures of men on campus for others to give a red or green flag, as well as the opportunity to comment anonymously on their experiences with said man. Since the app gained popularity through social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok, Hoyas have started to notice.
Though you cannot limit the app to Georgetown students only, you can set the radius of your search as narrow as a five mile radius to campus. There, you’ll find the “tea” on boys you may be talking to, are interested in, or have simply seen around campus.
“If we meet a guy, we immediately go on the Tea app,” E.C. (SOH ’28), who requested anonymity and the use of her initials out of concern for social backlash, said.“If there are that many red flags, I stay far away. Over ten and it’s getting to be too much.”
As the app is restricted to only women, leaving her close guy friends curious, E.C. admits that she’ll look up their profiles to see any activity on their pages.
“They ask me to look them up sometimes. I trust the comments,” E.C. said.
Other students agree that the app’s appeal lies in its sense of collective caution. Mia Perez (SFS ’28) trusts the app due to its focus on women’s perspectives.
“You can’t screenshot—it’s anonymous, so people would actually be truthful,” Perez said.
Mikayla DaSilva (CAS ’28), a user of the app, also believes Tea is an opportunity for girls to take their power back. DaSilva believes the app isn’t amplifying anxieties about dating or stalking potential dates, but rather giving girls another opportunity to gather information.
“Women are characterized as gossipers, but it’s valid because that information goes to our safety,” DaSilva said.
However, not everyone is convinced the app is harmless, or even a productive use of their time. Students like Riley Fitzgerald (CAS ’28) admitted she would download it just for fun, but nothing more. She said she would not use the app for its purpose to look a guy up before going on a date.
“I would download it to laugh, to see what’s happening,” Fitzgerald said.
According to four students, rumors spreading medical misinformation about male students having sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have also been circulating through the anonymous comment sections. Although the STD comments are there to warn girls from picking them up, for some Hoyas, speaking about individuals’ medical diagnosis without confirmation is a concerning breach of privacy.
Some students pointed out the flaws in the app’s design, mentioning inconvenient search features, glitches, and age ranges extending far beyond college-aged students. These attributes are deterring some from using the app at all.
“It was interesting to see what people say, but there’s not as much use for it here. It’s honestly really hard to find people you know.” Tea user Maeve Dempsey (CAS ’28) said.
For Christina Papachristos (SFS ’28) Tea is more of a curiosity than a dating strategy.
“I have the app, yes. Do I think it’s a good idea? No. It’s so mean to people,” Papachristos said.
Papachristos mentioned that she gives out green flags to her guy friends, trying to shift its gossipy nature into something more positive.
Though communication through social media use continues to rise for Gen Z, some Hoya girls are turned off by the idea altogether. Students said they would much rather get information from a trusted friend or even an acquaintance over anonymous comments on an app.
Hoya students think the design behind the app may be flawed, decreasing its credibility and original goal of protecting women.While the Tea app has become a centralized platform for good gossip, girls aren’t so sure the app has a strong future in dating at Georgetown.
“You should make your own opinions about people,” Dempsey said. “Without having an app telling you what to think.”
Apple removed Tea from the App Store on Oct. 21 due to concerns regarding user privacy, content moderation, excessive negative reviews, and posts of minors’ personal information. However, those with the app already downloaded on their device are still able to use it as normal.
