It took seconds for the app to download. And after inputting their personal information and uploading some photos, they were swiping left and right on an abyssal database of Tempe singles in no time. Ruby, a sophomore majoring in museum studies who asked for their last name to be omitted due to privacy concerns, was new to Arizona, new to ASU and new to adulthood. They were aware of the various negative stigmas surrounding dating apps — the platforms are unserious, unsafe or just for hookups — but decided to try it out anyway.
No longer a sketchy prospect or a desperate last resort, online dating has become an integral resource for today's singles. After all, if it wasn't for Tinder's algorithmic match-making process, Ruby might still be single. According to Liesel Sharabi, a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication and a leading expert on the psychology and sociology of online dating, the dating app userbase is increasingly dominated by young adults.
Over the course of her research, Sharabi has met multiple young college students who say they have only ever met partners through the internet. Online dating has never been more prevalent. Reaching all-time high engagement rates during the pandemic, it is now the No. Behind the boom is a sprawling and experimental multi-billion dollar industry. Tech entrepreneurs are using data collection and algorithms to fundamentally reshape the way sex, romance and relationships unfold in the 21st century.
It's treated like a superficial game when it has really serious implications. The original dating sites were essentially search engines. The proposition seemed intuitive. In a world where social media was becoming ubiquitous, there was no reason to limit your dating pool to the neighborhood bar or a local pottery class. As userbases grew and diversified, so did the industry.
Its biggest recent breakthrough was the introduction of algorithmic curation. Instead of users filtering through profiles themselves, matching algorithms could use data to suggest potential partners automatically. According to Sharabi, it can be difficult to discern what effect, if any, these algorithms have on user satisfaction. Some of these platforms really talk up the process. They set really high expectations. Sharabi found evidence of what she calls "Placebo AI" in her research.
