34 Online Dating Apps
Matt Fry
34.1 Introduction
Keywords
- Online dating – a system that enables people to introduce themselves to potential connections over the internet
- Matchmaking algorithm – a code that gives users potential matches that would be optimal for the user based on their personality and in-app tendencies
- Generation Z – generation that was born between 1997-2012 that has been raised on the internet and social media
- Digital Age – time period when computers and personal technology were introduced to provide users with access to easily and quickly transfer information
- Uses and Gratifications Theory – the understanding of why and how people seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
- Define online dating
- Identify when and why online dating technology became prominent in society
- Understand why people use online dating and the motivational factors affiliated with it
- Understand how online dating is a form of communication
- Differentiate between the pros and cons of of online dating
- Describe where the online dating industry is heading based on trends and real world circumstances
- Understand the mental consequences of using online dating
From a general point of view, one could conclude that the overwhelming majority of college students have some form of social media. If you were to ask a college student, what would be the primary mode of communication if you were not face to face with the other person? The overwhelming majority would probably say a social media app such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, or even Tinder.
As many current college students have battled through Covid-19 and the impacts it had on society (isolation and quarantine), online dating apps became have become a great way to communicate with new people and have generated some sense of normalcy by using it as a way to interact with others. However, online dating is proven not to be for everyone. Online dating may not fit every person’s preferred communication styles, but it is undisputed that they provide convenient communication, whether it be genuine or not. In this chapter, we will discuss the origins of online dating, the motivating factors people have to use the apps, pros and cons of online dating, and what online dating could look like in the future.
34.2 What is Online Dating
Key Takeaway
Online dating is a unique concept that looks at dating outside of the traditional realm a lot of students and parents grow up in. Online dating can be defined as a technology that allows people to find, connect, and introduce themselves to others over the Internet. The technology is developed with the goal for people to build personal, romantic, or sexual relationships with partners who have similar interests. What a lot of users are looking for is a personalized experience, something that can easily give users exactly what they are looking for quickly after downloading the app wi