Opening the book…
Exploring Dating Apps and Digital Courtship
The rise of dedicated dating apps—such as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Match, and eHarmony—has transformed how people in the United States search for romantic partners. These platforms offer streamlined profiles, algorithmic matching, and location-based browsing, making it easier to meet people beyond one’s immediate social networks. As the stigma around meeting online has declined, internet dating has increasingly displaced introductions through friends and family. Rosenfeld, Thomas, and Hausen (2019) found that meeting online had become the most common way heterosexual couples meet in the United States (Rosenfeld, Thomas, & Hausen, 2019). In their 2017 survey, about 39% of heterosexual couples reported meeting their partner online, compared with about 22% in 2009. Overall, the normalization of meeting online illustrates how courtship is increasingly shaped by technology.
At the same time, the popularity of dating apps has produced new frustrations. Some users report dating-app fatigue, describing online dating as repetitive, overwhelming, or emotionally draining. Recent media reports suggest that this fatigue has contributed to renewed interest in meeting potential partners through shared activities, including fitness-based dating apps, gym dates, run clubs, hikes, and other wellness-centered social spaces. This trend reflects both dissatisfaction with conventional swipe-based dating and the wider growth of wellness culture, where exercise, self-improvement, and lifestyle compatibility become part of how people evaluate potential partners (Defouilloy, 2026; Prendergast & DiGiacinto, 2025).
Online dating has been particularly valuable for groups historically underserved by traditional social networks, especially LGBTQ+ individuals. Young (2022) notes that gay men, lesbians, and middle-aged heterosexuals are often searching within "thin markets" where there may be fewer available or easily identifiable partners in everyday social settings (Young, 2022). As a result, these groups may rely more heavily on the internet to find potential partners. Rosenfeld, Thomas, and Hausen (2019) similarly found that same-sex couples are about three times more likely than heterosexual couples to meet online (Rosenfeld, Thomas, & Hausen, 2019).
Online Dating in the College Years
In their research, Lundquist and Curington (2019) found that many students use dating apps to meet people in ways that can feel more intentional and controlled than the chaotic, alcohol-centered party scene often associated with college hookup culture (Lundquist & Curington, 2019). Their interviews revealed that apps enable users—especially women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and students of color—to bypass the traditional "drunk hookup" script and exercise greater agency in how and where they meet potential partners.
At the same time, Lundquist and Curington warn that online dating platforms do not automatically dismantle the gendered and racial hierarchies embedded in hookup culture: many users still encounter sexist or racially discriminatory interactions even in ostensibly more "liberated" digital spaces. Their research adds nuance to the hookup-culture debate by showing that, while apps may offer safer or more intentional pathways to intimacy, they also reflect existing inequalities and ambiguous emotional outcomes (Lundquist & Curington, 2019).
Online Dating in Later Life
In her interview for the American Sociological Association’s video series, Dr. Pepper Schwartz highlights how people in their seventies and eighties are increasingly turning to online dating to form new relationships (American Sociological Association, n.d.). Pew Research Center similarly reports that 12% of Americans age 70 and older have used a dating site or app, showing that online dating is not limited to younger adults (Vogels & McClain, 2023). This trend reflects broader shifts in courtship norms: as technological innovation expands opportunities for connection and as social attitudes toward online dating grow more accepting, older adults now view digital platforms as a legitimate and accessible pathway to companionship, intimacy, and love.
Duration: 2 minutes and 38 seconds.
Dr. Pepper Schwartz discusses how older adults increasingly use online dating (American Sociological Association, n.d.).
AI Matchmaking and Digital Dating
As increasing numbers of people rely on dating apps, many individuals report a discouraging cycle of downloading an app, experiencing ghosting—when a person abruptly stops responding without explanation—or other forms of disappointment, deleting the app, and eventually trying again. In response, several platforms are experimenting with AI-driven features designed to improve the user experience. These innovations include AI matchmakers that interview users and generate personalized matches, AI "wingmen" that offer conversation guidance, and tools that review and refine user profiles. Although early reactions to these technologies are somewhat positive, their overall effectiveness remains uncertain.
Sociologist Giora Ashkenazi (2025) argues that concerns about authenticity in AI-assisted dating should be understood through Symbolic Interactionism. Dating has always involved self-presentation, impression management, and selective disclosure, even before dating apps or AI tools. From this perspective, AI does not create "inauthentic" dating from scratch (Ashkenazi, 2025). Instead, it intensifies long-standing questions about how people perform attractive versions of themselves, how much vulnerability they reveal, and how trust is built in early romantic interaction. Ultimately, AI may assist in navigating digital dating, but it cannot substitute for the human connection, communication, and emotional effort that form the foundation of lasting relationships.
References
American Sociological Association. (n.d.). Online love in later years [Video]. YouTube.
Ashkenazi, G. (2025, February 11). Is authentic dating possible? Contexts.
Defouilloy, M. (2026, June 26). What is a “wellness date”? Vogue.
Lundquist, J. H., & Curington, C. V. (2019, December 11). Love me Tinder, love me sweet. Contexts.
Prendergast, C., & DiGiacinto, J. (2025, July 25). Forbes Health survey: 78% of all users report dating app burnout. Forbes Health.
Rosenfeld, M. J., Thomas, R. J., & Hausen, S. (2019). Disintermediating your friends: How online dating in the United States displaces other ways of meeting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(36), 17753–17758.
Vogels, E. A., & McClain, C. (2023, July 17). Dating at 50 and up: Older Americans’ experiences with online dating. Pew Research Center.
Young, S. R. (2022, October 21). LGBTQ+ relationships and families. In D. P. Amory, S. G. Massey, M. M. Miller, & A. M. Brown, Introduction to LGBTQ+ studies: A cross-disciplinary approach. LibreTexts.
This page titled 7.8: Dating Apps and Digital Courtship was last modified on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:32:26 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sarah Earl-Novell.
The book could not be loaded just now.