Every generation brings along a lifestyle change that’s permanent. For baby boomers, it was television. They were the first generation that had access to real-time (almost) news and an array of entertainment options. The humble radio was for the oldies. Millennials and generations thereafter identify similarly with their smartphones. Ever since the first iPhone was released in 2007, smartphones have disrupted several verticals, including the photography industry, gaming, and dating.
Consider this: Tinder, the most popular dating app, worldwide, is present in 196 countries. With an estimated subscriber base of 50 million, it generates around 10 million matches every day. Almost a quarter of its subscribers are paying members who have access to premium features. Bumble, Tinder’s closest competitor, has 30 million registered users. A typical Bumble user spends about 100 minutes on the app, every day. Numbers for other leading dating apps, such as OkCupid and Hinge are similar, but not as close to the user base of Tinder.
Ever since dating, as a concept, came to the forefront at the turn of the 20th century, people have been seeking romantic partners. However, the process of seeking these partners has undergone a drastic change. In the early part of the 20th century, parents set their kids up on dates, since the goal of dating was to find a partner for life. Subsequent years saw people going on unsupervised dates, with the primary goal being to find someone fun and relatable. Often, mutual friends would be the catalyst for a budding romance. Classmates or colleagues would start dating because they met often and found common interests. Up until the invention of the internet, and more specifically the smartphone, people relied on their real-life interactions to find potential dating partners.
Somewhere in the early 21st century, speed dating rose in popularity but was quickly overtaken by dating apps, which provided a much larger pool of potential dates. Essentially speaking, dating apps did away, for the most part, that first (awkward) date where either of you are searching for words and exchanging awkward smiles in the hopes that you’ll end up falling for each other. In fact, dating apps arrived as a boon for introverts, who did not attend parties or lacked the social skills to write home about. But while dating apps have impacted and changed the way most people date, it does come packed with a variety of pros and cons.
With dating apps, you are no longer restricted to friends of friends, or colleagues; you don’t have to wade through potential creeps at a dingy bar, either, to find someone you could date. Thanks to dating apps, it is entirely possible to meet a complete stranger from a different part of the city and hit it off. You are no longer bound by just your social reach or even your geographical location, you are now able to access many different people near and far.
Furthermore, it’s important to understand that the main benefit to dating apps is the fact that you always have the choice to close the app once you become bored of talking to someone or if the app becomes too much to handle overall. This is much easier to do over an app rather than walking away awkwardly from someone in person.
On the flip side, more number of choices also means that people are less motivated to commit to a relationship. With the next potential date just being a swipe away, it is easy for most people to become easily disposable as people are often on the look for the next best thing whenever a relationship hits a rough patch.
Security can also be a concern, too, with dating apps. It is easy to build a fake profile online or lie from behind a screen – hence the infamous catfish. Unfortunately, there are many Tinder scam stories abound on the internet. However, if you are careful and use your common sense, online dating scams can easily be avoided. If a proposition sounds too good to be true, you need to move with caution and use your own initiative.
If you are unsure of whether you want to use dating apps/dating sites, you can at least always try them out without revealing too much of yourself. That way, you can study other people’s profiles and see what may catch your eye. Who knows, the love of your life could be just a click, swipe or tap away! If you have an app idea, feel free to Talk To Us today!