Online Dating: Changing Intimacy One Swipe at a Time?

Abstract

The rise of online dating and, even more recently, the rise of app dating services, have brought about many fundamental questions for social science researchers trying to understand the current landscape of intimate relationships. Among the questions are: Is online dating streamlining the mate selection process? Do the websites’ matching algorithms actually procure more compatible partners? Is online dating fundamentally changing how we find and choose partners? Are there differences between those relationships formed online and those initiated offline? Using the most current literature, we address these and many more enquiries now occupying the forefront of online dating and intimacy research. As well, we include a historical review of dating services in the USA and discuss how online dating has been received in various global markets. TS - CrossRef