Swipe Left: Understanding Its Meaning and Impact on Dating Culture

The mechanism of swiping on profiles has expedited the online dating process. Mainstream dating apps have a large pool of daters, so it’s easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond. However, swiping has reduced the amount of time it takes to browse through profiles and find a match that excites you.

Swiping has its pros and cons. Oftentimes, when people think of swiping, they immediately think of swiping right and making matches. While this is a powerful tool, the ability of the swipe left to get rid of undesirables in dating is just as important. 

Throughout this article, we’ll define what swipe left means for modern dating and the broader implications on dating attitudes.

Defining “Swipe Left”

A swipe left is the action of rejecting a potential match by moving your finger to the left on their profile. Although this act is simple, it’s effective because singles take one step closer to finding true matches with every swipe left.  

Origin and Popularization

Online dating wasn’t always a swiping game. In fact, the concept of swiping on profiles was introduced by Tinder in 2012. Since then, daters have enjoyed the simplified process of sorting through large numbers of profiles and relying on their gut feeling when picking dates. 

Tinder reported that on March 29, 2020, the app reached a major milestone of 3 billion swipes a day.

Now, as you can already imagine with such a successful result, swiping became so iconic that other dating apps and sites adopted the idea. Slowly, but surely, swiping started to become the new norm in finding dating. Even relationship apps like Match have implemented some swiping features to help users sort matches. 

The Zoosk dating service has a SmartPick feature that allows users to swipe through potential matches as much as they like, and the app uses a behavioral matchmaking algorithm to suggest compatible people based on their swiping preferences. 

Swipe lefts help inform dating apps that you’re not interested in certain types of dates. Over time, you see less of what you dislike and more of what you like.

Usage in Popular Culture

The phrase “swipe left” has entered everyday conversation as a short and convenient way to say, “I’m not interested.” The phrase is relatable and easily understood across all topics, even outside just dating. 

People have used the “swipe left” phrase to reject dates, ideas, and even opportunities. For instance, a friend of mine told me that a guy asked her out to the movies. When I asked what her response was, she said, “Swipe left.” Nothing else needed to be said. I understood her fully. 

Similar to my friend, people can ask each other for their opinion, and if they respond by saying “swipe left,” it usually gets the message across. 

Conversations about swipe left are also used in the media. The TV shows and movies that we watch often use swiping left as a way to show rejection as well. For instance, the Netflix TV show The Circle has adopted similar Tinder functions, and “swiping left” has become part of the vernacular used by the contestants. For instance, when they don’t want to be friends with someone, they would say, “Swipe left.”

The Psychology Behind “Swipe Left”

When singles swipe often, they can start to make fast judgments, avoid commitment, and, in some cases, develop low self-esteem. This is a challenge to modern dating and is ultimately the reason people are on the fence about embracing swipe culture.

Instant Gratification & Choice Paralysis

There’s no doubt that dating apps offer an abundance of potential partners. It’s much faster to sift through 100 profiles on your phone than try to talk to 100 people while out and about. But that benefit has led to a culture of instant gratification that isn’t exactly healthy.

With swipe apps, singles have more choices, but they might get overwhelmed by options. Having a large number of dating options can actually hurt their ability to make a decision. Users might become less willing to get to know someone because there’s always another profile.

Snap Judgments Based on First Impressions

A lot of people, especially men, will judge other profiles based on physical appearance. They might swipe left because of choice of clothing or aesthetic. 

Eventually, daters start to develop a mindset where they’re more comfortable making superficial judgments than trying for deeper and meaningful interactions.

Nowadays, a profile is judged and reviewed similar to a resume. If it doesn’t come off as interesting or catches the viewer’s attention, then a swipe left is likely to occur. This is why a lot of dating apps emphasize making your profile stand out with eye-catching pictures and intriguing bios. 

This setup often leads to quick rejection, where users make hasty decisions based on what’s provided. Daters start to feel the pressure of turning into marketing experts and coming up with the best ways to look attractive. 

The Role of Algorithms in Swiping

Dating app algorithms are designed specifically to make the decision-making process fast and efficient for users. Dating apps use swiping to help teach the app’s algorithm to suggest compatible profiles. The algorithm isn’t perfect, and it can exacerbate individual biases.

Algorithms present matches based on what the user says they want — that’s not always a great recipe for a lasting relationship. You may think you want a party girl with a big smile, but maybe you’d actually be more comfortable settling down with an introvert who makes your space more homey.

Impact on Dating Behavior

Singles develop dating behaviors based on their personal experiences, social influences, and cultural norms. It should come as no surprise that swipe life has had a big impact on how they go about finding dates.

Reduction in Meaningful Connections

Online dating sites like eharmony and OkCupid encourage users to find a sincere relationship. But nowadays, it’s starting to look like singles are becoming less interested in finding a meaningful connection and more interested in casual connections. 

The “swipe left” feature encourages more casual chats and less motive to try to get to know people on a deeper level. When you have the choice to swipe through multiple profiles, you’re less patient with those long conversations that build the foundation for a relationship. 

The Rise of Cancel Culture in Dating

The term “cancel culture” didn’t start to become popular until the late 2010s. In a nutshell, cancel culture is the practice of publicly expressing that you no longer support a person or entity due to their actions being deemed offensive or toxic.

Cancel culture usually focuses on celebrities, but it is slowly leaking into people’s dating lives as well. 

Swiping left plays into cancel culture because it involves the tendency to quickly dismiss potential partners based on minor flaws or perceived incompatibilities. The fear of being swiped left will cause singles to fake a persona and try to say what they perceive as the right things — even if it’s not exactly true.

“In a nutshell, cancel culture is the practice of publicly expressing that you no longer support a person or entity due to their actions being deemed offensive or toxic.”

When people are afraid to be real with each other, it makes it hard to connect and have a genuine relationship.

Changes in Expectations

We all have certain expectations when it comes to dating. When you’re searching for the perfect match, it’s often to set expectations that this dream match has certain qualities, characteristics, and even appearance. However, if there’s no room for flexibility within those expectations, singles can become disappointed or find it difficult to find a long-term relationship.

It can become hard to find a match who checks off all your boxes, so having too many expectations can be hindering. With hundreds of profiles to swipe through, it’s easier for users to expect perfection and become overly picky with their options.

Dating Trends for Modern Singles

Being single used to be a lonely status for some, but now it has become the new norm. Some even feel it’s empowering. People are embracing their singleness and flying solo until someone is worthy to swipe right on. We’ve seen certain trends arise in the dating world that are a mixed bag for singles.

Increased Focus on External Factors

I heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” a lot growing up, but I’ve found as an adult not all people abide by the old phrase anymore. Instead, more singles are judging potential matches by what they post, who they voted for, and how they describe themselves.

Swipe-based dating apps often amplify the focus on shallow attributes over personality traits or values. Photos are a key part of their design and how users engage with one another online. Singles naturally focus on visual connections before discovering chemistry.

However, I have to admit that while appearance and first impressions are certainly at the top of people’s lists when scouting out the dating scene, I’ve seen friends hunting for better on apps like Hinge and Coffee Meets Bagel that emphasize deeper connections and limit swiping.

Impatience in Relationship Building

Relationship building does take time, no matter if you’re online or in person. If you’re on an app, you may be less willing to invest that time. 

Due to swiping left, singles’ patience is growing thin, and quick rejections are becoming more and more common. 

As you can already imagine, with increasing impatience in modern dating, it’s becoming more difficult for singles to form long-term relationships. Why? Well, if singles aren’t willing to put in the work to get to know each other, they’re not going to last long before ghosting or swiping left. 

Learning how to create a strong communication foundation, and how to be a supportive partner will take time — and it’s so worth it, in my opinion, for that real, loving relationship. Don’t let the swiping burn you out!

Emotional Detachment

Swiping can lead singles to become emotionally detached from the reality of dating. The fast-paced nature of swiping left encourages members to think quickly and make fleeting decisions. Which doesn’t make room for a lot of thoughtful consideration of the lonely hearts and emotional depths on the other side of the profile.

With each swipe, it starts to become easier to dismiss a person without considering the important stuff, their feelings, or the possibility of a deeper connection. This response creates detachment and before people know it, they become conditioned to treat matches as disposable or like another Friday night ranking game. 

But this way of dating usually gets pretty exhausting. The rise of dating fatigue or burnout is common for users who navigate online dating with a superficial mindset. 

Normalization of Casual Dating

It’s pretty common now to see people casually dating. Not everyone is eager to jump into a relationship with the first match they find — and that’s OK! The normalization of casual encounters and no-strings-attached relationships is encouraged by the swipe-left behavior. 

Short-term satisfaction is the name of the game on the apps. You get your dopamine hit, you send some flirty texts, and you keep it moving. 

Over time, daters have moved away from the idea of building long-term connections as they started to embrace the idea of having multiple connections and having more options to choose from. Daters also witness how light and fun casual encounters can be with online dating when there are no expectations.  

Generational Shifts in Dating Norms

The rise of swipe culture has significantly shaped younger generations’ attitudes toward relationships and dating. Young daters are more open to casual relationships and are less likely to invest time and effort into meaningful connections. 

Some reasons for that might be because the younger generation has adopted a hustle mindset and even a sense of “commitment phobia.” They prefer to chase after their careers rather than a relationship, or they feel as though a committed relationship can be a distraction. 

Challenges and Criticisms of Swipe Left Culture

While swipe-left culture offers convenience and quick options, it often does come at the expense of emotional depth, respect for others, and being able to maintain a long-lasting relationship. For this very reason, a lot of people are on the fence, wondering whether swiping should still be implemented into dating. 

Superficiality and Narrow Focus

Some people are skeptical of swiping because they believe that swiping left encourages a shallow approach to dating that overlooks compatibility in deeper areas such as values, interests, and long-term potential. Which is completely understandable. 

Swipe-left culture is known for creating narrow perspectives of what attraction is and who is worthy of your attention based solely on looks. Getting to know people used to be based on chemistry and the vibe that you feel in person, but now swiping has created a layer of complication where singles only want to get to know those who they think are physically attractive. 

Algorithmic Bias and Discrimination

As I mentioned earlier, dating platform algorithms suggest profiles based on users’ swipes. By doing so, they’re hoping to suggest matches that match the profiles that you swiped right on and not left. While this sounds like a smart plan, its design is creating bias, discrimination, and lack of diversity in the list of matches. 

Without even knowing, swiping often perpetuates harmful stereotypes and keeps users boxed in. In addition to creating a distorted view of dating and what relationships to and not pursue, even outside the platform. 

Dehumanization of Potential Partners

Dating apps with swipe features are heightening instant gratification and dehumanizing potential partners. Swipe left can often reduce people to just profiles and pictures rather than seeing them as complex individuals with emotions and histories. Instead of getting to know a person, singles start seeing dating as a game of options. 

Encouragement of Shallow Engagement

The quick and transactional nature of swiping left promotes shallow engagement and detachment from real, meaningful interactions. Simply because users are encouraged to focus on physical features first and then emotional death later. With swiping, there is no need for vulnerability or in-depth conversations. 

As crazy as it may sound, people are treated like options in a catalog, chosen or discarded based on surface-level traits.

Ways to Combat Swipe Culture

Although swipe culture is taking over the online dating scene, there are still ways to challenge that. Combating swipe culture requires singles to have a shift in mindset and behavior that focuses on fostering deeper, more meaningful connections. 

Have More Thoughtful Interactions

When online dating, it’s nice to pause and reflect on potential matches so that you’re more thoughtful in swiping. Taking things a bit slower when swiping is just one of the many ways users can challenge the urge to make quick judgments and aim for deeper connections.

Thoughtful interactions include initiating conversations and getting to know someone. Be aware of the biases you might bring into your judgments, whether that’s based on appearance, status, or other surface-level traits. 

Reevaluate Expectations & Standards

It’s important to try to have a balanced approach to online dating that makes room for imperfection and patience. Dating is a learning experience where you not only learn about others, but also yourself. Throughout the process, don’t be afraid to reevaluate your expectations or standards. 

Nothing about dating goes exactly how we want it, and we have to learn to be OK with that. I’d advise singles to recognize that real, meaningful relationships take time to build. Don’t expect things to align perfectly at first. Life is not a Disney fairytale, I’m sorry to tell you.

Give People a Chance

Coming into the dating scene with an open mind and heart will allow you to explore connections that might’ve passed you by otherwise. Go beyond just surface-level qualities and take the time to get to know someone. Don’t judge them based solely on their profile picture and bio. 

Dating is exciting because you get to meet new people. If you just limit yourself and meet the same kind of people who just so happen to have different names, things can get pretty boring. Try to challenge yourself and step outside the box. When swiping through profiles, give others a chance — there’s often more in common than meets the eye at first glance.

Be Mindful

Being mindful when you’re online dating is crucial to productivity. Oftentimes, people assume that swiping through hundreds of profiles is being productive, but sometimes that’s not the case. Too much swiping can lead you down a rabbit hole. 

Instead, establish a daily or weekly limit for how much time you spend on dating apps. Include breaks in between and if you feel like you’re getting burnt out, know when you might need to take a break altogether. It’s vital to be intentional with using dating apps and keep in mind why you’re on there in the first place. 

Swiping Is Now Part of Dating

Dating, now as we know it, is a fun mixture of spontaneous online meetups and chats. While there are still opposing views on finding love online, it’s no secret that online dating has become widespread, with a huge impact on singles.

With this in mind, users should be careful how they swipe. Hopefully, industry leaders can come up with tools to create a more authentic and thoughtful approach to dating by encouraging empathy and respect, intentional dating, and fewer quick swipes.