A student wants to expose the hidden world of racism on dating apps after being called ‘exotic’ by a potential date made her feel like an ‘animal’.

Serena Smith, 18, from Cambridge claims that casual racism is rife on apps such as Tinder and Bumble and is frequently left upset by remarks from potential dates.

Mixed-raced Miss Smith told MailOnline: ‘It really angers me when people call me "exotic". It isn’t really something you should call a human. It’s what you’d call a place, or an animal or a dish of food.

The student who is studying English Literature at the University of Leeds has also been told she's pretty 'for an Asian girl', has called on the apps to do more to educate their users about using racist language.

Serena Smith, 18, originally from Cambridge said casual racism is rife on dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble

‘Maybe Tinder, Bumble and other dating apps could do some educational videos about how to avoid being casually racist and avoid micro-aggressions,’ said Miss Smith.

‘It’s tempting to put this all down to special snowflake syndrome; to say that this is all a massive overreaction, and that we shouldn’t take such comments to heart.

‘But that’s not good enough. Racial micro-aggressions are essentially normalised, everyday acts of racism, and we can’t just brush them under the carpet.

‘I don’t think guys realise they’re being offensive. They think it’s a compliment because girls want to feel unique.'

Miss Smith thinks more needs to be done to make people aware when they’re being racist

The English Literature student has been called 'exotic' a number of times and finds it offensive

Miss Smith took screenshots of some of the casual racism she's experienced as a result of online dating

The first year student, whose mother is Mauritian and father half South African, explained that while a word like 'exotic' sounds harmless, it is actually very troubling.

‘Being called "exotic" is racist and I think a lot of people don’t realise that. It implies that I’m different in a derogatory way.’

Serena believes it's easier to be casually racist in the virtual world in a way that people may not be in person.

After many of her friends encountered the same kind of behaviour, Miss Smith, decided to expose the casual racism she had seen on dating apps and try and tackle it in her own small way

‘I think it’s so common on dating apps like Tinder and Bumble because of the relative anonymity,’ she said.

‘If you’re in person it’s easier to call people out on using language like that.

‘Online they’re safe behind a screen. They’re just a picture and a name. They can say whatever they want and get away with it.’

Miss Smith also experienced a man telling her he had ‘never got with a brown girl before’ and that she was ‘pretty for a mixed-race girl’.

Serena with a friend: The student has started replying to people who use racist language to make them aware of how offensive their words are

‘It made me feel like a box on a list of people to be ticked off,’ she said. ‘It made me feel objectified.’

After many of her mixed-race friends reported encountering the same kind of behaviour, Miss Smith decided to tackle things in her own way and wrote about her experience.

Just one example was a friend being complimented for being 'so light skinned for a black girl'.

This is a message her friend received from a guy she was speaking to on dating app Tinder

‘I used to just ignore them or reply sarcastically. But the more it happened the more I realised people don’t know how racist they’re being, so I’ll tell them,’ she said.

‘I say I don’t want to be called exotic - it’s racist. Sometimes they listen to me.

‘It feels like I’m making a difference even if it’s just to one person. I'm going to keep doing that.'

She also thinks more needs to be done to make people aware when they’re being racist.

‘I suppose my message to people using these sites is focus on the individual you’re talking to and not their race.’

Bumble has been approached for further comment. Tinder did not respond when approached for a comment by MailOnline.