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July 20, 2020

How Technology Has Changed the Dating Game



Globally, millions of people have turned to dating apps to find potential partners and even flings. Dating apps have grown exponentially. According to App Annie, a research firm, dating apps generated 234 Million Euros In 2016, and in 2017, the revenue was almost double at 448 Million Euros. Today, LGBT couples are more likely to find partners using dating apps, and apps remain the second most common medium used by heterosexual couples. Essentially, dating apps are helping everyone find love on dating apps. The question remains, how has technology changed the dating game?



Here’s a quick list:

  1. Find out everything about a potential partner.
  2. What you see may not be what you’ll get.
  3. It may be hard to find what’s real.
  4. Unlimited choice.

Now let’s get into it.

Find Out Everything about a Potential Partner

Prior to the advent of dating technology, there was a restriction in the information we were privy to. The only way you could find out about a prospective date was by asking family and friends. Fast forward to today, you can find out nearly everything about anyone, as long as they have an online presence. Dating apps like Tinder allow you to take a peek into the person’s Instagram to get an idea of their personality. If you're considering any of the Russian girls for marriage, you'll need to do your research thoroughly. If you are doubtful about their identity, you can extend the search to Facebook (News - Alert). Although this is good, you have to know when to stop before getting to the point of finding out what they had for dinner.

What You See May Not Be What You’ll Get

Technology sure allows you to find out everything about a potential partner, but this comes at a cost. Ironically, technology is making it even harder to navigate the dating scene. Communicating online most likely reduces non-verbal communication which accounts for 40% of human interaction. What this means is that we are not communicating organically since we lack the social skills required for effective communication. However you choose to look at it, communicating online certainly differs from one-on-one communications. A person’s online personality may be completely different from their personality in real life.

It May Be Hard to Find What’s Real

If you ask around, no one would choose to be played when dating. However, it appears that dating online is one big gamble. It is not uncommon for individuals on dating sites to lie in a bid to make themselves more desirable. There are more than 50 million users on Tinder, and more than 12 million people are matched every day. In reality, how many of those matches translate into healthy long-term relationships? And how many are simply fruitless endeavors?

Unlimited Choice

In spite of the fact that dating technology presents us with multiple options in terms of an extensive dating pool, it is safe to say that there’s still room for improvement. If you have limited dating options, you’d be more interested in building a connection with a potential partner. As humans, it is a normal psychological response to get pickier when there are numerous available options. So, when dating online, you’re essentially looking for someone that ticks all the boxes. One flaw and you’re out. What’s the point of becoming emotionally attached to just one person when you have 10 matches? There’s hardly any fear of rejection or failure if you are rejected once, then at least one match awaits you.

It’s almost impossible to point out exactly when dating technology became mainstream. How safe is it? Am I guaranteed to find love? Eventually, we have discovered the answers to these questions and some have been lucky enough to find love on dating apps. The way we communicate and find love has evidently been changed by dating technology. Still, it is important to know the consequences of choosing to find love the easy and convenient way.



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