Are dating apps dying?

A lawsuit alleging that the owner of Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid uses a "predatory business model" to keep users hooked is the latest wave in an "ocean of dissatisfaction" with dating apps, said The Observer.

Although online dating "is now a permanent fixture of our social landscape", said the paper , research is lacking on how happy couples who meet online tend to be, or "whether the apps are presenting users with the most suitable candidates". Younger people are also increasingly distancing themselves from dating apps including those made by Match Group, whose latest legal entanglement has "stimulated a new round of debate over their potential to harm mental health".

Breaking up with online dating

The "current techlash" is a reaction to the "environment dating apps have contributed to over the past decade", said Jason Parham in Wired , one in which the highs and lows of pursuing romantic love are "flattened through machined exchanges".

"Disillusionment with dating apps seems to have reached a breaking point", said Allie Volpe in Vox . Users are especially "tired of the lack of civility of online dating", with some complaining that matches continue to contact them after they say they are not interested. Others "bemoan the jarring nature of going from strangers to romantic interests within days".

After years on apps that have "turned socialising into something of a competitive sport", said Parham, it's no wonder that burnt-out singles are now "longing for a simplification of the dating pool". Many young people are forgoing online dating, which runs counter to Gen Z's "innate gift for virtual expression".

A "perfect storm of pandemic-induced loneliness coupled with serious dating-app fatigue" is reviving the fortunes of activities and clubs as places to meet new people, said Avery Stone in The Cut . The shift has turned sports leagues and gyms "into the hottest places to date".

Hope on the horizon

The market value of Bumble and Match Group has plummeted by more than $40 billion since 2021, and they're "laying off workers and reporting lacklustre revenue growth", said The New York Times , but a handful of apps are bucking the trend. Hinge has sustained a "huge surge in paying users" with downloads jumping by 14% in the second quarter of 2024 versus last year, while Bumble saw a 2% increase and Grindr 1%, according to Quartz . Grindr has seen its stock soar by 120% from last year.

Some dating apps are also trying to capitalise on users trying to leave them behind in favour of real-world activities. Hinge awarded a Brooklyn-based running club $25,000 to expand in-person events, a sign that "IRL" (in real life) matchmaking could be an avenue for app companies to pursue.

Ultimately, "it's hard to find your soulmate, however you do it", said The Observer, and for all their flaws, dating apps spark millions of relationships a year in the US alone. "Better to work to improve the apps, and to learn from them, than to vilify them."