Disclaimer:
This article was written by a male, with the intention to inform in an unbiased and educational manner.
Introduction
Dating apps took the world by storm in the early 2010’s, enjoying healthy profits and rising to success in the dating market. Yet, our post-pandemic society has seen a steady decline, both in app users and in profitability. According to Statista.com, future projections suggest a stagnation in the industry. This makes me reconsider the future of dating apps, and whether they will ever fall into obscurity? Thus, I’ve decided to take a retrospective look at their pros and cons.
The Pros
Using dating apps increases your odds of finding a match. With so many users, someone could always be a potential soulmate. It’s a gateway to meet other like-minded individuals, who you might have never met otherwise. As an anonymous speaker says, in The Price of Dating Apps, “I really like… the options it gives you… and a sense of… looking outside your social circles.”
The lifestyle factors and options in popular apps also allow you to narrow your searches. These choices create a shell of a person, saving yourself from potentially awkward conversations down the road. For example, do you want to have kids? One user told the Wall Street Journal that it helped her find someone who didn’t smoke. You can find someone who aligns with your lifestyle.
In addition, the premium versions provide a higher probability to find matches, with spotlights given to your profiles, super likes, and other perks that increase your odds. Another user told the WSJ, “Hey, it’s eight, nine, bucks for a month or something like that. And that’s pretty much the cost of a drink when you go out.” Thus, the money you would’ve already spent elsewhere, is being redistributed to something more beneficial. It’s what we call an investment.
The Cons
Apps always hold the potential of a match. Yet, seeing their personality through their profiles comes down to either a lucky swipe on their profile or paying a hefty premium. The cost of premiums can range from the teens to a couple hundred dollars, and without it, there’s the constant tease of knowing your future partner could be behind that paywall.
Although it starts well, waiting for messages and constant updates makes the experience feel demanding and emotionless at times. As journalist Robyn Vinter said, “It feel(s) like work and there is a genuine sense of burnout as people struggle to commit to… hours of admin a week”.
Even those that find matches attest to the fact that the whole swiping faze becomes a “choice overload”, where one user said, “I believe it makes me act more shallow than I would in person.”
With the swiping comes constant “spam, bots and fake accounts”, contests Dylan Freeman-Grist. This causes more unknowns from the swipers side. It was reported that 53% of Canadians lie on their dating profile to make themselves more appealing to swipers. With these added risks, finding a “real” candidate” is an even tougher task.
The Verdict
I’d argue that the importance of dating apps depends wholeheartedly on the individual. If you’re willing to go through the thicket of profiles, spending your well-earned time and money to do so, then I’d say go for it. If not, there are other alternatives to find a partner; whether that be through friends, activities, school, social events, etc. The whole purpose of the experience is to find love, and if the search to find it becomes burdensome, then I’d suggest stopping altogether. In the end, remember that dating apps aren’t a necessity, but a choice. So, treat it like one.