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INTRODUCTION

No advancement in recent history has revolutionized day-to-day communications as much as the internet has; including the applications that have spawned from it. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are prime examples of new digital landscapes that fully serve the purpose of allowing users to expand upon their social circle. This digital extension of our communication abilities directly applies to the world of dating too. Much of the early established online dating websites created a negative stigma around digital romance, whether it be through cliché advertising or tiring user interaction. Tinder could arguably be seen as the first step towards social acceptance for meeting others digitally with its immense mainstream success – continuing to change the way people think about the use of the internet for social purposes.

An analysis of Tinder not only represents how the public feels about socializing over the internet, but provides insight to how humans really aspire the world of dating to be. The psychology of romance is on full display through Tinder, often times critiqued for exposing our sense of superficiality when it comes to attraction. Yet this realization isn’t necessarily a bad sign for humanity. On the contrary, Tinder offers a greater understanding of how we like to meet people through its technical functions, which in turn can provide newer and more thorough ways to create meaning through quick digital interaction. Online dating is looking to be a norm; Tinder provided a great start to that.

HISTORY OF TINDER

Tinder was born in the smartphone era, when technology became powerful enough to communicate images at the palm of your hand. But up to that point, different methods were used to fuse machine intelligence into dating.

However, Tinder approached dating differently than its predecessors: it used images, rather than statistics, to compare users.

This section will cover the early beginnings of online dating and machine-assisted pairing, the foundation of Tinder, its development as a platform, and briefly cover its current state. With this information, it's hoped you will have enough context to understand the evolution of online dating, and why Tinder is an excellent case study.

BEGINNING

Online dating goes back to the late 50's, when computing became powerful enough to run comparative algorithms; the first instance of technology in partnership occurred in 1959, when Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer used a punch-card questionnaire to try and match 49 men and 49 women.

Services remained similar to the experimental service above for the next 17 years, relying on data and user-inputted statistics for a machine to match couples.

Innovation came in 1978, when Jeffrey Ulman introduced Great Expectations, a video-dating service that provided videotaped interviews between possible candidates. The venture failed due to its negative public perception.

The introduction of the Internet shifted people's attention away from matching services and towards online chatrooms; 1984's Matchmaker Pen Pal failed (founded by Jon Boede) specifically failed because of this.

In 1995, Gary Kremen founded Match.com, today one of the leaders in matchmaking services. Still, however, public perception wasn't receptive towards online dating.

With the introduction of smartphones in 2007, and the proliferation of portable technology, online dating became increasingly common and accepted. Then, in 2012, Tinder was founded.

RISE TO SUCCESS

Tinder was founded by Sean Rad, Jonathan Badeen, Justin Mateen, Ramon Denia, Joe Munoz, Dinesh Moorjani, Chris Gylczynski, and Whitney Wolfe, and was launched in 2012; soon enough, through campus word-of-mouth in Los Angeles, Tinder spread rapidly and became an almost contemporary program to have.

Sean Rad, leader of the project, stated that he made Tinder because "there are a lot of great platforms that help us communicate with people we already know, but there isn't a way for me to meet new people". He innovated with Tinder by observing how people react to real-life dating, and what online tools offer - and he found online tools lacking. He mentioned that "in the real world, you're either a hunter or you're being hunted. If you're a hunter, there's constant rejection. And if you're hunted, you're constantly being bombarded. And the current solutions actually make these problems worse. With other dating apps, I can reach out to more people if I'm a hunter, and I can be hunted more easily"; effectively, online tools presented a list of like-minded individuals, but made no effort to filter by interest to the person. Tinder provides this filter with its iconic "swipe", allowing two individuals to communicate know they're mutually interested; this system proved highly popular and effective.

Popular reception has also changed accordingly. Earlier dating programs weren't as successful because computers still remained a relatively niche and novel technology. Today, smartphones and portable technology have become common enough to make an online presence contemporary, instead of niche - the same attitude was extended towards online dating.

With the user given agency in selecting who to communicate with, and technology becoming common enough to be almost omnipresent, Tinder provided a sufficiently anonymous and convenient alternative to traditional matchmaking sites. It gives the user enough privacy to feel confident about initiating, and enough agency to feel confident in talking with the individual he originally showed interest in.

CURRENT DAY

Today, Tinder has grown to be the most popular dating app on mobile devices, and capitalized on this with micro transactions and expanded functionality.

Super Likes allows users to increase their chances of a response, by demonstrating higher interest with another user. However, it still maintains the benefit of anonymity by preserving the chat limitations to responders only.

Moments were released in 2014, and allowed users to upload images and have them be liked, similarly to how profile matching works. The community received this function favorably, but was later discontinued (due to a lack of interest) in favor of a partnership with Instagram. This allows users to craft visual narratives, using a collection of images to demonstrate an online persona of their making.

Boosts allow for increased exposure for a limited amount of time, however you also receive a limited number of boosts; once you run out, you have to pay to acquire more, or wait for the monthly allowance of boosts.

Tinder finally introduced paid subscriptions, where non-paying members have a limited amount of daily swipes, and paying members get an unlimited number of swipes. Members under 28 pay $10 per month, and those above 28 pay $20 per month. Usage has not dropped significantly.

Tinder has been merged into the Match Group company, owner of several major match sites including OkCupid and Match.com.

The modern perception on online dating has become much warmer than previously. Tinder is now perceived as a contemporary tool, and is widely used by people of a variety of ages.

SUMMARY

Online dating has evolved from quantitative to qualitative filtering. As digital technologies improved their image projection capabilities, they moved away from questionnaires and numerical information, and towards image-based selection. Early dating services strove to make existing dating easier, without altering the basic mechanics of the process.

Tinder has seen great success by improving this process, adding a filter to the selection process that is user-dependent. It builds upon the foundation of other dating apps, by introducing a selection method that is only available in digital form: anonymous consent. Users may consent to talking to others without the fear of rejection, providing users who enter a conversation the confidence of knowing the two of them have a mutual interest.

Most smartphone-based applications rely heavily on visual references to provide users information to decode compatibility, while traditional dating sites still use comparative algorithms and quantitative data to assess compatibility.

The image-based nature of Tinder has allowed users to craft visual narratives and personas they wish to reveal. Likewise, traditional sites still face some form of embellishment by their users, as a method to improve their desirability towards potential partners. This has attracted criticism over these technologies, as it's easy to completely falsify your personal information, and exploit these opportunities for nefarious motives. Regardless, these technologies allow users alternative methods and contexts to present themselves in.

SUCCESS

The success of Tinder can be regarded as that of a cultural phenomenon. Officially founded in 2012, it only took the app a little over two years to gain a bolstering forty million downloads with one billion swipes occurring per day on its interface. The initial target audience for the application primarily consisted of young people ranging from ages 18 to 24, and it was noted by founders Sean Rad and Justin Mateen that the app was directed towards socially-charged Greek communities on college campuses. This would then in turn translate to the spread of Tinder through word-of-mouth across entire college campuses, and then onto the ecosystem of Greek life across the nation.

Often overlooked however, is Tinder’s initial focus on building up a supply of female users. Specifically, within Greek communities on college campuses, the company would send co-founder Whitney Wolfe across chapters throughout the country and have the girls install the app. Afterwards, she would talk at the equivalent fraternity where guys would open the app and see all these women who have already signed up (Growthhackers).

Tinder’s primary audience targets younger, more digitally savvy users. This focused audience is not only embedded in the app’s initial marketing plan, but in the actual user experience. Having the ability to physically ‘swipe’ potential dates like that of a card deck feels very natural on a mobile device – coating the overall experience with a sense of efficiency. This sort of physical action is very natural to those familiar with the smartphone flow. The coding is indeed engineered for those who know smartphones, which typically means younger people. In addition, the digital gamification of dating is what many attribute Tinder for its immense success. The mindset used is very similar to that of gambling. “People keep swiping to see if they’ll hit the ‘jackpot’ on the next wipe”.

While many criticize Tinder for its superficiality, it is argued that the app actually better mimics real life than any other digital dating service. People in real life make quick judgements based on appearance before asking out a stranger, and Tinder just enables this experience online. Often times you will judge a person by their perception before finding out about their interests, and so on. Dr. Helen Fisher from Rutgers University makes an interesting connection explaining “There’s a reason they call it ‘love at first sight’, not love at first conversation, first smell, or first joke.” Building on top of this understanding, Tinder utilizes a double opt-in system so that the fear of rejection is lowered extremely. The ability to ‘unmatch’ also allows users to completely control whoever or whenever they socialize.

IMPACT

Tinder has spawned a number of dating services that mimic its efficient card-stacking like formula. A couple of these knock-offs include JCrush, Wyldfire, and Loveflutter – each catering to a specific subgroup of users. Match.com has even released its own Tinder like mobile app (though not many are aware that the two are run by the same innovation lab). Apps like Wyldfire and Bumble mimic Tinder but target dating through a ladies-first sort of function where they have the first say. Apps have even developed to mimic the easily socializing aspect presented by Tinder, but differ in subject content. For example – Jobr aims to connect people for jobs but mimics Tinder’s model. While many new apps aim to address the problems mentioned in Tinder, such as its superficiality and focus on looks, none of these spawn-offs have achieved any level of success comparable to Tinder. This is partly due to the fact that the market just does not cater to users who psychologically think and act that way. Tinder is simply the monopoly of mobile dating at the moment.

Tinder’s impact affects established dating sites too. While Tinder has successfully captured the millennial crowd, the single market for older people is still large. EHarmony still acquires a great amount of traction. According to IBISWorld data, two-thirds of the singles in America’s online dating world are older than 34. So while Tinder is the hot topic right now, how it aims to expand its audience reach to older crowds still has yet to be seen. The dating site you use is dependent upon your choice of medium, which typically shows what age group you belong to. Analysts have noted that online dating is increasingly becoming a battle against age groups. While Tinder dominates the young smartphone market, Eharmony still controls the older computer website, cable-watching crowd.

In a survey of online dating in 2013, The Pew Internet and Life Project found that eleven percent of American adults had used online or mobile dating apps. While it was noted in their survey that the majority of survey participants agreed that online dating is a normal and appropriate way of meeting people, the lack of people utilizing dating apps was still there. After Tinder’s launch in 2012 and it becoming what it is now, this number has undoubtedly increased dramatically. Tinder’s rise to becoming a staple in tech pop culture has come with backlash. It has even been described as the vessel for the “Dating Apocalypse”. Robert Weiss, author for Elements Behavioral Health, believes that Tinder (along with other popular forms of consumerism) is a place where people with vulnerabilities are finding a place for instant release. An interesting point Weiss brings up is “If substance addictions were the addiction of the 20th century, behavioral addictions are those of the 21st”. Though the critics of Tinder are harsh, it is possible that societal norms have just changed to combine romance and technology in the most fitting way for this time.

CONTROVERSY

Tinder started off being very controversial. For more information on the history of Tinder, go here(link). There were stigmas about online dating and dating apps. In particular, because Tinder is viewed primarily as a hookup app, in comparison to something like eHarmony, that view was only strengthened. In the US, that stigma has decreased as Tinder and other dating apps have become more and more popular. In other countries, including Japan, some of those views are still very prevalent.

DAWN OF THE ‘DATING APOCALYPSE’

When most people think of Tinder as being controversial, this is what they think of. Tinder is very different from other online dating in that it is almost exclusively visual; you see their picture, and you swipe left or right. Many people view Tinder as making hooking up too easy. Because of this, this culture has been described as ‘psychosexual obesity’.

The game aspect can be seen in the fact that for some, it becomes a competition; how many people can you hook up with this week? There is the view that this is callous and harms the ability to have actual relationships. In addition, studies have shown that the average Tinder user has lower self-esteem than the average non user. In addition, these studies have shown that using Tinder can lead to significantly lower levels of face and body satisfaction. This is the heart of the viewpoint that opponents of Tinder hold.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS

Multiple flaws have been found in Tinder, making it possible to find users’ locations. The first of these concerns was released in February of 2014, and was active for between 40 and 165 days. Once released, it was patched within 48 hours. A more recent bug was found in March 2016 which allowed the location of matches, included blocked matches to be found. This was not patched for five months.

There is also a website called Swipebuster that was launched in March 2016 that allows anyone to lookup how recently someone has logged into Tinder. This was achieved not through a flaw or bug, but through Tinder’s official API. This service is still active today.

INSIDE TINDER

Controversy arose regarding the founders of Tinder when one of them, Whitney Wolfe, filed a sexual harassment and sex discrimination lawsuit again co-founder Sean Rad and Justin Mateen. Wolfe’s role in creating Tinder was buried. She was initially considered a co-founder and was considered integral to the company. In later interviews, Mateen and Rad claimed that the credit for themselves.

Wolfe claims that Mateen called her a “whore” and a “little girl” She claims that sexist and racist comments were common against employees. Justin Mateen has since resigned from the company.

ONLINE DATING TIMELINE

1959: Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer start a class project at Stanford to match 49 men and women together, using a questionnaire

1964: Joan Ball starts first computer-generated match-making service

1968: Data-Mate is founded, a questionnaire-based service by MIT

1976: Great Expectations founded by Jeffrey Ullman. Video dating service that failed due to people failing to overcome the stigma behind it

1984 :Matchmaker Pen Pal is launched by Jon Boede. Fails due to people losing interest and transitioning to the Internet.

1995: Match.com started by Gary Kremen

2003: Proxidating launches, alerts users to nearby bluetooth users

2008: GenePartner launches, matching people based on “genetic compatability”

2012: Tinder launches

2015: Match Group, owner of Tinder and other dating sites, goes public

INTERVIEW

Conduct an interview with a 27-year-old woman and learn about her experience with online dating. This interview was held April 4th, 2017. Select the questions that you would like to ask and listen to her response.

What is your opinion of Tinder as a dating application?

I was kind of under the impression that Tinder was more for hookups and not so much for actually dating. I feel like that it is kind of a contributor to damaging people’s self-esteem because you have people judging you based on a picture and that constant rejection. I think that it is one of the social media apps that is hurting us as a society a little bit.

Have you used Tinder?

I have not.

What is your opinion of online dating instead of traditional dating?

I think there is pros and cons to both. I think online dating is a great way to actually meet new people and get out of your social circle and maybe try new things you haven’t tried before. I think there is also a little bit of, I hate to say danger, but obviously you are meeting strangers so you don’t necessarily know that the person you are meeting is who they say they are. So you have to be conscious and aware of that. And then there is also a little bit of awkwardness since it’s not like you are dating someone that you’ve known for a couple years and you were friends first. Like you are literally meeting for the first time and kind of building on that and so that can be kind of intimidating and awkward. I think that overall that it is neat experience to have if you are willing to try it.

What is your experience with online dating?

So I was 27 when I started online dating and I used Match.com. I was on it for three months. I went on three actual dates and I had a couple people that I went back and forth with. But you know, you start talking and then you couldn’t meet up or just didn’t have a lot in common so it would fizzle out. The last person that I went on a date with I’m still dating a year later so, obviously, if you’re dating someone you end your account. I feel like I had a good experience with it.

Do you know anyone who has used Tinder or Match.com?

I know people who have used online dating services. I’ve had coworkers who have used Match, I’ve had family members who have used other online dating sites. A couple were successful, others were not. And then I don’t know anyone who has used Tinder.

What was your initial thoughts on dating applications?

When I first started Match I actually had a lot of anxiety about it cause you’re getting messages from all these new people and you don’t know if they’re going to be who they say they are and you actually have to meet them in person. But it’s also very exciting cause you’re meeting new people and you get to talk about different things or like maybe there are things that they like that you hadn’t experienced before so it’s exciting but it’s also a little nerve wracking.

What were your thoughts after using the dating application? Did it meet your expectations?

Yeah! I’ve been in a solid relationship for a year now and that’s what I was looking for; a long term relationship. I feel like I got what I wanted out of it.

What do you think is the overall view on dating applications by your peers?

I feel like it generally has a bad rep. I think people talk to people who have had bad experiences and that’s what travels around. Like everyone has that funny bad dating story or they went on some bad dates. So I think people kind of have the expectation that you just don’t get matched up or [there are] people who are not who they claim to be online.

What is your overall opinion on online dating?

I think it is a very personal decision. It’s going to come out differently for everyone like some people are going to have a really great outcome like maybe they meet someone and they get married. Other people are going to on 50 dates and not find anyone that they really like or want to stay with. But I think, if it’s something you’re willing to try then you should definitely do it. Worst case you don’t meet anyone but at least you tried and maybe you do and you meet someone that you end up spending the rest of your life with.

Worth a shot!

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