How online dating changed the game

Here’s how and why online dating changed the game of seduction.

Dating has officially moved online


Over 49 million people globally use online dating, and 20% of committed relationships began online according to Statistic Brain. The co-author of the book Modern Romance broke down how apps like Tinder changed the dating game. While phone-based dating originated in the LGBTQIA community with Grindr in 2009, it was Tinder that brought this new style of online dating to more than 70% of smartphones worldwide in 2012 as stated in The Atlantic.


Gamified dating


“I didn't understand just how many people are looking for romance and also finding romance on their phones. It really has been a game changer. Online dating really began with sites that ask people to develop big profiles of themselves and often do it on a desktop computer. People would spend all night, maybe more than all night, you know, writing descriptions of themselves, biographies so many of the same single people we met said online dating in the old way we used to do it felt like having a second job. The game changer in online dating is that increasingly people are using their phones, not the desktop computer. And also, sites like Grinder and Tinder have effectively gamified dating”, Eric Klinenberg, sociologist – NYU tells Brut.


Searches driven largely by what someone looks like


Tinder is largely attributed to lowering the mean age of online daters to 18-24-year-olds —which accounts for 27% of all users based on data from Statistic Brain. This has coincided with a shift in dating behaviors and attitudes — which aren't all great. There’s now big money in online dating — revenue is projected to reach $649 million in the U.S. alone by 2023 in line with Statista.


Brut.


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Brut.