Online dating has become a mainstay of single life. Between apps like Tinder and Bumble and longstanding sites like Match and eharmony, it’s no surprise that around half of singles under the age of 30 have turned to online dating at least once.
To understand the dating landscape of today, it’s important to look at the roots of modern online dating.
Online dating is the now common practice of meeting potential partners via a website or mobile app.
The earliest dating websites paved the way for all the triumphs and frustrations that come with swiping and making first contact with a stranger online. Let’s take a look at how far the online dating world has come!
The Early Days of Online Dating (1960s-1990s)
Obviously, online dating as we know it today didn’t exist in the 1960s, when computers were still bulky and almost no one had one at home. But even as far back as 1965, many singles happily turned over their personal details to computer-based dating services.
Early Dating Services Paved the Way
Harvard classmates Jeff Tarr and Vaughan Morrill launched Operation Match out of their dorm room, inviting lonely singles to submit a pair of questionnaires — one reflecting themselves and one reflecting their desired partner — along with a $3 fee to be matched via computer.
The pair rented time on the university’s IBM machine and used some basic programming skills to match clients up based on who they were and what they were looking for.
Although Operation Match is the earliest-recorded computerized dating service in the US, it’s worth noting that the UK has its own pioneer: Joan Ball launched the St. James Computer Dating Service, later known as Com-Pat, in 1964.
These early dating services weren’t much like the fast-paced, swipe-based dating platforms we know today, but they paved the way by using machines to crunch tons of data to find compatible matches.
The Internet Helps Singles Connect Around the World
Following the official birth of the internet in 1983, dating services began springing up almost as soon as people had access to the web.
Early online dating sites functioned a lot like other matchmaking services of the era: classified ad boards where singles could post what they were looking for and basic forms that users could fill out and submit to receive suggested matches.
In addition to established dating services, singles found each other through online communities: chat rooms, message boards, IRC servers, and more. Wherever people congregated online would work. Yahoo! Chat and AOL chat rooms attracted singles looking to make connections, and some even found compatible partners, setting the scene for the rise of modern dating sites.
The Rise of Dating Websites (1990s-2000s)
The first “modern” dating sites launched in the mid-90s. Notably, 1994 saw the launch of Kiss.com, and 1995 brought Match.com, which continues to provide matchmaking services to this day. JDate came online in 1997, and more sites followed soon after.
By the turn of the 21st century, online dating had already started to gain acceptance, with eager singles joining out of curiosity as home computers became more accessible and internet access became increasingly affordable.
Dedicated Dating Sites Make Matchmaking Easier
The early 2000s saw the launch of many dating sites that continue to offer services to this day: eharmony in 2000, ChristianMingle in 2001, Ashley Madison in 2002, and Plenty of Fish in 2003.
OkCupid set an early standard for dating online, offering all of its services for free and using personality profiling to establish matches between users based on math in 2004.
Today, OkCupid has over 5,000 personality questions (all optional) that users can answer to inform the compatibility algorithm — and find dates on the same page on everything from politics to hobbies.
These early dating sites took things much farther than message boards, classified ads, and internet-based video personals. Sites like Match and eharmony provide curated matches based on compatibility rather than a simple paragraph or picture.
Queer Romance Spurs Online Dating Innovation
Unsurprisingly, LGBTQ+ dating sites continued to gain traction. The first gay dating site, Gaydar, was founded in 1999, and more LGBTQ+ sites were launched to cater to those who wanted to make connections within the community from around the world. One of the earliest smartphone apps for gay dating was Grindr, which launched in 2009.
Pop Culture and Public Acceptance Make Online Dating Valid
Although sitcoms and movies made jokes about the quality of people who turned to online dating in the late 90s and 2000s, success stories started to gain traction as more people sought love over the internet.
Those early success stories fueled curiosity and acceptance of online dating, and as smartphones became a fundamental tool in our lives, online dating evolved once more.
The Mobile Revolution and App-Based Dating (2010s)
The first iPhone hit the market in June of 2007, and it didn’t take long for enterprising businesses to take note of the possibilities. This, of course, extended to dating sites. Match launched its Android app in 2010. The same year also saw the launch of the gay dating service SCRUFF across mobile platforms, providing solid competition for Grindr.
The Rise of Mobile-Only Online Dating
In addition to existing dating sites offering mobile apps to allow users to take the matchmaking magic wherever they went, several companies launched exclusively app-based dating platforms: Tinder and Hinge in 2012 and Bumble in 2014.
While these giants continue to dominate the dating app world, a wave of new dating apps catering to specific niches has launched every year since 2012, with over 1,500 dating apps worldwide as of 2024.
The explosion of dating apps accessible on smartphones and other mobile devices has changed the matchmaking game in some pretty spectacular ways. Instead of waiting hours or days to see if your potential partner replies to your messages, in-app messaging systems mean that communication can happen in real time, any time of the day or night.
Swipe-Based Matchmaking Brings Opportunities and Concerns Alike
On the other side of the coin, however, early dating apps often featured a shallower approach to matchmaking, along with a gamified atmosphere.
Apps like Tinder offer very little to go on when it comes to deciding whether you’re interested in someone. You can view a few pictures and maybe a sentence or two of self-description. As a result, many experts blame game-like dating apps for the rise of “hookup culture” and the expansion of people seeking no-strings-attached sex.
Not all apps are the same, of course. Platforms like Hinge require users to engage with each other based on conversation starters and prompts in profiles, deepening the first contact. Social media integration is another step aimed at encouraging users to delve into a potential partner beyond their looks.
In fact, social media integration has become a cornerstone of dating apps. Social media is such a big part of our digital dating world that many newer-generation apps function like a dating service and social network all in one. And that trend hasn’t slowed down.
Current Trends in Online Dating (2020s)
Heading into 2020, few people could have predicted how strongly a novel virus epidemic in China would impact the world — especially online dating.
As COVID-19 began to spread all over the globe, countries responded with lockdowns and quarantines, and dating sites and apps all had to find a way to help users make romantic connections without meeting in person.
COVID Inspires Video Dating Integration
While a couple of dating sites and apps offered video chat options before the pandemic, the lockdown restrictions spurred almost every major online dating platform to launch its own, unique take on the useful function.
Match offered Vibe Check, Tinder began offering Face to Face, and eharmony launched Video Date, all within a few months of each other in 2020. These features were popular during lockdowns but have since largely died out.
Another COVID-inspired innovation was Zoosk’s Great Dates function, which allowed users to go on virtual dates to exotic and romantic locations, learn about faraway cities, and play virtual tourist from the safety of their own homes.
Apps like Snack, which launched in 2021, took video features in online dating to a whole new level. Where more mainstream apps provide video chat tools for individual users to connect one on one, Snack users connect with videos from the very beginning.
Gen Z Daters Demand a Different Approach to Online Dating
As Gen Z gains more traction in the online dating world, apps and sites seek to cater to the youngest adult singles out there by offering a different take on digital dating. Studies indicate that Gen Z is less interested in swiping apps and hookup culture than previous generations, and that shift has inspired platforms to steer in a more social direction.
Many new dating apps and sites operate more like social networks than traditional dating services. Apps like GoGaga allow friends and relatives to recommend potential matches, using the power of social networking to pair their loved ones off. Even long-standing platforms like Zoosk offer a more casual, social atmosphere for meeting singles.
Inclusion and LGBTQ+ Safety Become Major Concerns
While niche dating sites catering to specific subcultures and interests have existed for as long as online dating has, the 2020s have seen an explosion of platforms that help members of marginalized communities connect, make friends, and find love.
Apps like TAIMI, HER, and Lex offer a social atmosphere and a warm welcome to users, functioning as an inclusive, safe space for queer people to meet and mingle.
Although Feeld launched in 2014, the polyamorous dating app continues to gain popularity due to its inclusive approach, with 23 sexual preferences and orientations available.
Considering that nearly one-third of Gen Z adults identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s not surprising that dating apps and sites for queer daters are on the rise.
Data Privacy and Personal Safety Worries Challenge Dating Apps & Sites
As people have become more aware of the vast amounts of personal data their internet and phone activity provides to companies, it’s only natural that data privacy started to become a major issue for online dating companies.
Data leaks like the Ashley Madison hack in 2015 or the Adult Friend Finder leak in 2016 highlighted the need to keep user info secure and encrypted. Laws like the EU’s GDPR drew the general public’s attention to the issue of companies using sensitive data for marketing purposes.
Another worry plaguing online daters is the rise of scammers, bots, and other potential safety issues to navigate across almost all platforms. Stories like that of the Tinder Swindler, or details of rape, assault, and murder cases tied to online dating have made users wary and encouraged platforms to increase security measures and profile verification.
Machine Learning and AI Algorithms Enter the Matchmaking Equation
Although dating sites have used personality profiles and in-depth questionnaires to help match users based on compatibility for decades now, the rise of robust machine learning capabilities and algorithm-based AI systems gives dating site companies new methods of improving suggested matches over time.
New-generation algorithms for curating matches take into account how each user reacts to a selection of potential partners, refining the criteria over time. An app called SciMatch is even using face scans and AI to predict relationship compatibility.
“AI leads your heart. We’re encouraging our users to not merely rely on intuition when it comes to love, but also our science-backed algorithms.” — SciMatch Co-Founder Yanina Strylets
Chatbots and AI assistants are also coming into play for busy adults who want a chance at love but don’t have the extra time to screen their prospects. It’s like having a virtual wingman on your side.
Platforms like Rooit use AI moderators and other tools to help users connect and get to know each other better, and other online dating services are incorporating these kinds of tools to streamline and enhance the matchmaking process.
The Future of Online Dating
Online dating norms, tools, and features change fast, so ultimately, there’s no telling what users will consider common and even boring 10 years from now. However, some clear trends in dating apps and sites show strong signs of what’s to come in the next few years.
As technological advances become more and more accessible, it’s only natural that online daters will see the benefits, from virtual reality accessories to the ever-expanding reach of internet access. The world is getting smaller every day, and online dating trends will continue to reflect that in different ways.
Virtual Reality Dating Will Offer New Experiences (Even at Home)
COVID lockdowns inspired a wave of virtual dating features aimed at helping potential couples connect despite distances. The lockdowns have ended, but the thirst for exploring virtual environments on a date hasn’t gone anywhere. Online dating companies like Dating Group (also known as Social Discovery Group) continue to develop new ways to bring the virtual world and the real world together.
Daters will be able to meet up in a curated environment or even create their own perfect date space to explore with their partners, sparking deeper connections than simple messages or voice calls can provide.
Instead of meeting up at a café or bar, you’ll be able to put on your VR headset and chat with your date in Narnia or Middle Earth or go on an adventure together inside your favorite video game.
Increased Internet Access Boosting International Connections
The International Telecommunication Union reports that the percentage of people with access to the internet continues to increase at faster and faster rates. As of 2023, around 67% of the world’s population has access to the internet, and as more and more people get online, more singles will make connections that cross international borders.
It’s hard to say just how far-flung these romances will become in the coming years, but the ability to connect across time zones and travel readily around the world will certainly foster more international love connections.
Hybrid Online/Offline Dating Events Cater to All Daters
While virtual events have been a godsend to introverts around the world, the COVID lockdowns seem to have inspired some daters — especially Gen Zers — to prefer connecting in the real world. Hybrid events that combine virtual features on a site or app with in-person appeal are a growing niche in online dating and one that is likely to continue.
Dating apps like FateDate take the hybrid approach to the next level, with the features of online dating paired with the safety that comes with connecting with local venues to make in-person dates go off without a hitch. It’s easy to see where this trend is likely to go — especially combined with more accessible and portable VR technology.
Singles Continue to Adapt and Change the Game
Dating sites and apps adapt to the changing preferences, goals, and desires of daters, and singles continue to adapt to the online dating world as well.
With the growth of video-based dating apps, hybrid approaches that incorporate in-person meetings with online social networking, and the development of virtual reality dating options, the online dating world keeps getting more exciting.
Whether you’re straight or queer, looking for something casual, or seeking lifelong love, dating platforms offer the opportunity to find the right partner at any time of the day and anywhere in the world!
