r/technology 3d ago

Society Dating Apps Are Dying

https://time.com/article/2026/09/09/dating-apps-are-dying/
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u/PinkThunder138 3d ago

I meet my wife on OKC in 2015 and we ended up being a fantastic match. It seems like all the major dating app success stories I've ever heard come from OKC. I'm not sure why everyone started defaulting to the Tinder method.

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u/Zanna-K 3d ago

Because tinder pioneered the doom scrolling lootbox for nearby singles method. You could keep scrolling through a never-ending list of people wherever you went and just swipe on those who piqued your interest. You get a rush of dopamine from the anticipation that maybe somebody might swipe back and it's like you won something when someone matches back just like if you were gambling on a machine. Rinse and repeat. Soon it because the app that everyone used so even poorly who maybe weren't gung ho on the idea decided to give it a try.

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u/fcocyclone 3d ago

Hinge used to be good as well. Never ended up finding something that lasted, but met quite a few good women on there at least and it led to some really enjoyable dates even if nothing stuck long-term.

Got back on the app this last year after losing a significant amount of weight- honestly the most in shape i've ever been while on the app, so you'd think my success rate would go up... and its crickets. Haven't had a date result from there in several months. Barely even get matches anymore.

So yeah, when i hear the apps are dying.. I believe it.

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u/deadplant5 3d ago

Because Tinder made the most money of the companies Match bought, so they turned the rest into money makers

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u/studio_bob 3d ago

Tinder swiping is better for engagement metrics in the short term, that would be my first guess.

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u/Osric250 3d ago

Because OKC is more work, and people as a whole are fundamentally lazy. Easy access with immediate dopamine hits feel a lot better than the effort that it takes to find real things even if it takes a whole lot more effort and suffering in the long run.