Tinder Research and the Social Sphere of Online Dating

With the emergence of new technology, communication is now easier than ever. With popular dating apps such as the infamous social interactive platform, Tinder, forming romantic relationships online now offers individuals a new way to personalize their dating experiences beyond measures ever imagined. In October 2019, Tinder released their debut “Swipe Night” series which gave users fully functional interactive video episodes that allowed them to create and choose their own “apocalyptic adventure.” While there have been many findings on how these platforms have impacted society on a larger scale, there have been very few addressing the implications of interactive technology such as the “Swipe Night” feature and how they can aid in understanding a future projection of how human bonds are formed, in addition to how these apps perpetuate the idea of impersonal digital romantic selection. Additionally, due to societal interpretations of what these applications represent, several connotations may lead individuals to prefer one dating platform compared to the other for varying reasons. Therefore, this study reflects the experiences amongst focus group participants who gave individual perspectives from their experience using social networking sites and dating applications to pursue romantic connections. Fundamentally, the purpose of this report is to analyze these interactions that occurred amongst Generation Z (Gen-Z), and young Millennials (those born from 1981-1996), gain an initial prognosis and interpretation of how networking platforms, such as Instagram, and online dating applications, such as Tinder, play a vital role in the formation and structure of human interconnectivity