Since Tinder’s debut in 2012 with its ‘gamified’ mechanic and transforming modern dating, apps designed with specific demographics in mind like Bumble, Hinge and Her soon followed and began capitalising on its success. This influx of dating apps, some of which pre-date Tinder, like Grindr, and were designed to make our lives more convenient, has become repetitive.
There is a lack of authenticity when cultivating a connection with someone as the focus becomes on their aesthetic rather than personality.
Many of our relatives met organically, without an algorithm dedicated to pairing them together based on surface-level information. Though a ‘starter pack’ in getting to know someone is useful, there is a rise in many people not utilising this option, only uploading aesthetic photos of themselves that belong on Pinterest rather than on a dating app. There is a lack of authenticity when cultivating a connection with someone as the focus becomes on their aesthetic rather than personality.
The lockdown of 2020 could also be a key factor in the decline too. Limited human contact with those outside of your household was very isolating for many people and since then we crave in-person interactions. I asked my friend Lauren who found her partner Jack post-pandemic on Hinge and here are her thoughts on this topic.
Although people say they want to meet someone organically post-COVID, Lauren believes that “it’s made people less confrontational with talking to strangers in social settings and as a result, we are more reliable on communicating online so I think a lot will still opt for dating apps.” We also discussed how isolating dating apps can be, reminiscent of lockdown, to which she said, “I suppose after COVID more of us wanted that authentic, personal connection and in some cases if people had limited social settings, dating apps are an option to open more avenues.”
Jack shared some insight too, stating that, “a lot of guys at work have uninstalled them because they don’t have the best experiences.” During his experience, he found it difficult to get good matches with people who would hold a conversation or wanted a long-term relationship.
There isn’t clear evidence to support whether we are truly moving away from online dating. According to Dixon, the number of users on these apps increased upwards of 381 million worldwide and by 2028, it will be an estimated 452 million people (Statista, 2024). Online dating, despite certain downsides, is still great depending on what you are looking for as it allows you to connect with so many different people. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how you connected, just that you did in the first place.