Advantages and Disadvantages of Dating Apps Essay Sample

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and OkCupid all seem like the easy way out of an otherwise complicated process. It just requires pressing a button and apparently anyone can meet their soulmate. The truth is that not only do dating apps not provide instant romantic success, but they often do not provide results at all, resulting in a boring experience and wasted phone storage. Dating apps are no longer fun or useful because they are tedious to use, do not guarantee their users’ success, and do not serve their original purpose. 

Dating apps may start out fun to use, but they become tedious over time. There are liars that apps cannot detect, forcing users to use their own judgement and risking disappointment or even danger. In “The Rise of Dating App Fatigue” by Julie Beck, Frannie Steinlage, a Tinder user, suggests “it really is sifting through a lot of crap to be able to find somebody” (Beck). It is easy to create a profile on dating apps, and therefore, several profiles are unreliable. Those that “catfish,” or create a profile with a misleading and often edited picture, ruin the experience for serious users looking to find love.  

As users navigate the app, they discover that when they do find someone trustworthy, it is tough arranging a date. Elizabeth Hydes, a periodical dating app user, claims “I’m pretty frustrated and annoyed with it because it feels like you have to put in a lot of swiping to get like one good date” (Beck). Compatible people might not respond. Those with luck say it takes them ample time and effort to find a successful date. For some, it is impossible to find anyone compatible. They might live in a small area and have limited options. In truth, this is sometimes unavoidable and not everyone has luck with these apps.  

Eventually users of dating apps might find other users have very different intentions from what they were expecting. Users seeking a long-term relationship are sorely disappointed to find the app attracts people that have less serious attitudes about love. Moira Weigel, a historian as well as the author of Labor of Love, a book on the history of dating, said “And I think there's a good argument to be made that the most important thing it delivers is not a relationship, but a certain sensation that there is possibility” (Beck). When users shift their intentions away from committed relationships, the reputations of apps suffer, and the intentions of the userbase change over time. 

Admittedly these alternative uses might qualify as useful depending on the users’ intentions. Their consumers might use the apps to find casual hookups or might discover they are not romantically compatible with their date but remain friends. Dating App user Will Owen said “I haven’t been looking for a serious relationship in my early 20s. It’s great to just talk to people and meet up with people” (Beck). There is a unique experience created by dating apps that surpasses just the process of traditional dating. Nevertheless, these apps advertise specifically to users interested in finding long-term relationships, leaving them disappointed when they discover the apps are not what they seem. 

Apps that advertise a new and fun way to connect with others looking for romantic relationships are not what they seem. They are dull after sorting through countless fake profiles. It is not always possible for everyone to find a connection. The advertised experience turns out different due to the various types of users and their objectives. Despite the accessibility dating apps provide, technology has not monopolized the idea of dating and meeting in real life remains relevant.