Online dating apps: A game of Likes and Love
The wave of digitisation has, over the past ten years, swept the globe at an unprecedented rate. The influence of wireless connectivity has been growing, in conjunction with the lowering costs of technology such as smartphones. This has enabled millions of people with access to the benefits of online services. Many services that previously catered to niche audiences, now find their respective user bases to be broadening steadily. One such industry is that of online dating — dating apps, to be more precise.
Finding love has gotten easier…
The desire to fraternise with members of the opposite sex (same, in some cases) is an unavoidable instinct for all human beings. This fact constitutes the entire premise for the enticing world of online dating. And indeed a prosperous world it has grown into, with the revenue of the industry having surpassed an astounding 3 billion USD in 2017. Every year, millions of people around the world are able to evade the throes of outrageous fortune (single life) with a swipe of their finger, or the click of a button. All thanks to the helpful services provided by online dating apps. This claim is aptly substantiated by the fact that the usage of online dating services among young adults has tripled in the past 4 years.
But what about peace of mind?
There are, however, two sides to every lover’s tale; which also happens to be the case with dating apps. As of 2017, 21% and 9% of all men and women respectively, showed reluctance towards dating apps, due to knowledge of bad experiences faced by their peers. Indeed it is common knowledge that online dating, although highly beneficial, also has its flaws. Take for instance the aspect of privacy and security. Unsolicited texts/sexts, inappropriate comments, stalking; these are only few of the many problems users face due to the apparent lack of privacy that accompanies the concept of online dating.
Peace of mind is by design
Suffice it to say, that the success of any dating app/site hinges on the sense of privacy and security that it creates in the mind of its users.
- Simple security measures like mobile number verification can help avoid complex problems in the future. However, security doesn’t always pertain to official identity.
- A user’s personal identity, their sexual preference for instance, also matters a lot in a matchmaking scenario. Dating apps must therefore provide users with the option to indicate their preference toward both sexes.
- Furthermore, the layout of the app must be kept as clean, and simple as possible. This is because users generally relate such aesthetic with qualities like trust and dependability.
In conclusion, we would only like to say that online dating is neither a complete bed of roses, nor a thorny crown (sorry Jesus!). The reality of the paradigm isn’t something that can be looked at in black and white. Want the full picture? Drop us a line in the comments to grab a copy of our benchmarking report on online dating.
UXAlliance is a global UX research organization that operates in collaboration with 25 UX companies globally. Each of these companies represents their home country, in what forms an international network spanning five continents. UXAlliance works in coordination with its partner companies, in order to provide its clients with global research services, thus helping them better cater to international audiences.
PeepalDesign is a UX design company, and is the Indian partner of the UXAlliance group.
