Dating Apps: Will They Help You Find Your Valentine?
By Lionel Getten
The season of love is upon us, and with it brings single youths from all around eager to find it. You may have seen one or 100 dating app advertisements in the past month and maybe even downloaded a few. I mean, who would not fall victim when bombarded with ads depicting fabulous first dates followed by long-lasting relationships? Now I am here to set the record straight on the reality of dating apps.
Whether it is Tinder, Bumble or Hinge, dating apps have created a new method for aspiring lovers to put themselves out there from the comfort of their own homes. While depicted as a seal-proof method for finding love, the question arises: Do dating apps fulfill their promise?
When asked on my Instagram @llionel.getten_, 57% of voters were in favor while 43% were not. However, I sought to validate this data through testimonials from both sides.
Starting off with Chaffey student and self-proclaimed 'lover girl,' Julissa Corona agrees that dating apps fulfill their promise. Corona began her dating app journey at the ripe age of 20 when she downloaded Tinder, and two months later, she matched with a man who she would later call her boyfriend of 7 months.
Tinder’s algorithm prioritizes active users and influences their feeds towards other users with similar demographics and interests. “Aside from current location and gender, it’s just age, distance and gender preferences to start,” as stated on the Tinder website. “For those who want to share more, Tinder factors in interests and lifestyle descriptions members add to their profiles
In regards to how accurate this algorithm was in Corona’s case, she and her boyfriend are the same age, live within 10 miles of each other and are both heterosexual, all while sharing similar interests. “We have similar music tastes, we are both are obsessed with me and family is very important to us,” said Corona. “I liked him within the first minute.”
While the dating app route has proven successful for Corona, the same cannot be said about everyone. In defense that dating apps do not fulfill their promise, Kaylee Marsh shares her avid, yet futile experience with them.
Marsh initially downloaded Hinge in late 2023 and has been on date after date ever since. Although her efforts have proven unsuccessful in producing a relationship, it is not because she and her dates were incompatible whatsoever.
There is a stigma that people on dating apps are just looking for something fun and short-term, or something immediate (if you know what I mean). The article, “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse’” by Nancy Jo Sales explores the idea that dating apps have become intertwined with hookup culture, which has ruined the premise of ever finding a “happily ever after” on the apps.
“As the polar ice caps melt and the earth churns through the Sixth Extinction, another unprecedented phenomenon is taking place, in the realm of sex,” said Sales. “Hookup culture, which has been percolating for about a hundred years, has collided with dating apps, which have acted like a wayward meteor on the now dinosaur-like rituals of courtship.”
With hopes of finding a connection, Marsh attests to the idea that a good portion of people on the apps are only looking for sex. “Personally, I’m on the app to make genuine connections so I will block the person immediately if they try to make the conversation sexual,” Marsh expressed.
Even after blocking the more erotic profiles on Hinge, she was oblivious to the unforeseen “nothing serious” and “just for fun” profiles, disguising themselves as relationship-seekers. “I talked with someone for about three weeks before we went on two dates and I thought that our relationship would continue growing, but they weren't ready for an actual commitment,” Marsh shared. “Most people on the app are either on there because they’re bored or want an ego boost.”
Corona expressed that aside from her boyfriend, even she had her fair share of suggestive accounts attempting to pursue her. “90% [of users] were looking for sex and that’s why I would ghost a lot [of them],” Corona noted.
Well there you have it, the contamination of dating apps is upon us, and it seems that no one is safe from salacious, or facetious profiles. However, while the people on the apps have changed, the intent of the apps has remained the same.
Through adjusting their algorithms, dating apps have attempted to separate sex-seekers from relationship-seekers. For instance, Tinder created their “Tinder Explore” tab, featuring a variety of categories, two of which being “Free Tonight” and “Looking for Love.”
So is the jury still out? Do dating apps keep their promise? I guess I cannot say; the dating app experience seems to vary from person to person despite the relentless efforts these apps put in to ensure satisfaction. However, I will say this: Putting yourself out there, even from the comfort of your own home, is more promising for success than not trying at all.