Swiping for love: Finding love in today’s world of dating apps

By Tanzila Patel

The use of online dating apps has skyrocketed in recent years, with popular apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and ChristianMingle.com attracting millions of users. According to Statista Digital Market Outlook, in the United States the number of online dating users is steadily increasing, with an estimated 44.2 million users in 2020 and an expected 53.3 million by 2025.

One of the reasons for the success of these dating apps is their ability to leverage data to help users find the perfect match. These apps collect a wealth of information from their users, including their location, age, gender, interests, and even their browsing history, which is used to create personalized profiles and matches.

One popular example is Tinder, which uses a swipe-based system that presents potential matches to users based on their location, age, and gender preferences. The app’s algorithm also takes into account factors such as the user’s activity on the app, the types of profiles they typically “swipe right” on, and their messaging behaviour to help improve the quality of matches over time. It also has a paid premium version where you get unlimited swipes.

The “swipe right” feature on dating apps refers to the action of swiping your finger across the screen in a rightward direction to indicate that you are interested in someone’s profile. The feature is typically used on apps that use a “swipe-based” interface, where users can swipe left or right on other users’ profiles to indicate their interest.

Even niche dating apps like ChristianMingle.com are using data to help users find compatible matches. The app collects data on users’ religious affiliations, values, and interests to create profiles and suggest matches that align with their beliefs.

While some users have had negative experiences with dating apps, others have found lasting love.

Brendan Smith, who moved to Canada to further his education, shared his story of meeting his first long-term boyfriend through the app known as Bumble.

“Bumble is an interesting app where I actually met my first long-term boyfriend,” he said. “But that ended after finding out he cheated on me, so Bumble and I have an interesting relationship.”

He said he joined the online dating community because, as someone who identifies as a part of the LGBTQ community, it’s really hard to know if someone is gay and interested in dating or looking into a relationship.

While online dating apps can have their challenges, success stories like that of Bruna and Igor, who met on Tinder, prove that these apps can lead to lasting relationships.

Bruna and Igor lived in Brazil and met each other through Tinder. Bruna said that Igor was the first and only person she went out on a date with.

“We started talking at the beginning of January of 2017, and after two weeks, on Jan. 25, we went out to dinner,” Bruna recalled.

“Three or four months later, we joked about living abroad, and after a month it wasn’t a joke anymore,” she said.

“At the end of September, we lived together for a year, and then we got married in December 2018.”

Bruna and Igor are now currently married and living in Toronto.

Their story is just one of many success stories that highlight the potential of online dating apps to bring people together. While not every match may lead to a long-term relationship, these apps continue to provide unique experiences and a valuable service for those looking for love in the digital age.