Online dating isn’t just the most ubiquitous way for couples to meet — there’s evidence it’s responsible for stronger and more diverse marriages. And especially over the past year, dating apps have become a lifeline for millions of people craving connection as their IRL social lives stall.
But technology has met the moment with varying levels of success. Inspired by the Mozilla Foundation’s Privacy Not Included Guide to Dating Apps — a comprehensive guide to how the most popular dating apps handle personal data and privacy — we set out to better understand the ever-changing world of online dating. Read on to learn how the industry has navigated cultural shifts, privacy concerns, and a global pandemic that’s expanded the concept of a face-to-face date. Plus, tips for navigating the scene yourself.
Technology’s Impact
How 1970s VCR dating paved the way for Tinder and Hinge
VoxGreat Expectations, which existed into the ’90s, was the original dating technology.
Chatbot Love: What It’s Like to Fall For Your AI
Experience Magazine“She will not break up with you.”
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Privacy Not Included Guide to Dating Apps
Mozilla FoundationHow creepy is that app? We created this guide to help you select safe, secure options.
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Phone Tracking Is Having a Moment, but Gay Dating App Scruff Wants No Part of It
ProtocolLocation data is big business, and is now at the center of efforts to study the spread of COVID-19. But who’s in control?
Feeling Lonely? Wearing Cat Ears May Help
The New York TimesThere may be no better time than the present to find love on multiplayer online role-playing games.
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About The Misaligned Incentives of Dating Applications
Hacker NoonWhy it’s time to redefine success.
SaveApps in Cultural Context
How a Dating App Helped a Generation of Chinese Come Out of the Closet
The New York TimesBlued, one of the biggest gay dating apps in the world, has succeeded because it plays by the ever-shifting rules for L.G.B.T.Q. China — bringing together a minority community without activism.
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More Than Just a Dating App
Rest of WorldWhen Pakistani authorities banned Tinder last month, one woman lost a social lifeline.
Racism Thrives in the Online Dating World
Mashable“Why was my experience on dating apps with non-Black men on the East Coast so different from my experience in the South?”
Dating Apps Are a Minefield for Non-Binary People
ViceThe extra considerations non-binary people need to take in order to use platforms that aren’t designed for them can be exhausting.
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‘This Is Small Talk Purgatory’: What Tinder Taught Me About Love
The GuardianWhen I ended up single in a small town, I turned to a dating app. But finding someone fully and messily human was harder than I thought.
SaveCovid’s Effects
The Forever-Online Boyfriends of the Pandemic
TimeDating during COVID-19 doesn’t offer the romance of infatuation or the passion of a fling, but it teaches us to commit to something different: kindness, curiosity, discovery, patience.
What's Next for Dating During Coronavirus, According To an Anthropologist, Pathogen Expert, and Love-Life Coach [WATCH]
InsiderDo you think you can tell if you're attracted to someone right away on Zoom?
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What the Pandemic Has Done for Dating
The AtlanticMany single Americans have been more intentional about whom they date, are having deeper conversations, and are spending more quality time with new partners.
SaveBest Practices
How to Date Like a Game Theorist
Behavioral Scientist“I needed to reconsider my dating strategy. How could I optimize the costs and benefits of finding a partner in a global pandemic?”
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Love Lockdown: Four People Reveal How They Stay Privacy-Aware While Using Dating Apps
The Firefox FrontierDating during a global pandemic is the definition of “it’s complicated.”
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