Whether you’re new to the dating scene or have been swiping right for quite some time, staying up to date on the dating lingo can make all the difference for your online dating journey.
So let’s start with the basics: what exactly does it mean to swipe right?
A swipe right indicates that you like and are interested in getting to know someone on a dating app.
As you can imagine, confusing a swipe right and a swipe left (or even a swipe up or down) can mislead people and interfere with dating apps’ matchmaking algorithms. With loads of online profiles, a simple swipe right helps people narrow down the dating pool and find compatible people.
I will dive into the swipe-right movement and how it has shaped the online dating world we know today.
Online Dating Culture
Online dating has evolved over the years and gained quite a reputation for helping singles find all kinds of relationships. But you can’t talk about online dating without mentioning how hookup culture has taken a toll.
Most singles today struggle with trusting online dating because they feel as though there are more people looking for hookups than real relationships.
Swiping through profiles without knowing someone’s true intentions can feel nerve-wracking. However, various online dating apps and sites encourage upfront conversations and in-depth bios.
Match Battled the Negative Stigma
Match.com is an older dating app that’s been around since 1995. It was one of the first dating apps launched on the web and has paved the way for international online dating and so much more. Since it launched, Match has helped thousands of singles find relationships from all over the world.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Match.
When Match was introduced to the world, a lot of people were skeptical. Singles perceived online dating as something only desperate people would use when they couldn’t find relationships on their own. It wasn’t until Match reached a milestone of having 100,000 users within its first six months of launching that singles around the world became invested.
Tinder Launched in 2012
Tinder may not have been the first dating app, but it certainly left a huge stamp on the online dating industry by creating the swipe method. The swipe feature allows daters to swipe right when they’re interested in a profile and swipe left if they feel otherwise. Swiping took off and became the most popular way for people to find dates.
Before Tinder was launched, singles had to do things the old-fashioned way and read messages from randos with no way to filter them. The swipe method allows singles to sort through active profiles, ward off unsolicited contact, and express interest more clearly.
Swiping Features Are Everywhere
Pretty much every dating app uses the swiping method now to some extent. But there are different versions of swiping.
On Bumble, members match the standard way by swiping right and left on profiles. What makes Bumble distinct is that the women on the app are in charge of making the first move. So once a match is made, women are the ones who can shoot their shot by sending a greeting, or they can grant their match First Move privileges.
The Zoosk dating app allows members to swipe through profiles and have a little bit more wiggle room to rate profiles than just a yes or no. On Zoosk, members can rate profiles as yes, no, maybe, and even favorite profiles that really interest them. Fortunately, members don’t have to be a match to reach out to one another.
The Psychological Impact
Swiping has even helped dating apps better serve the members. Some dating apps, such as Elite Singles and OkCupid suggest matches based on members’ swipes.
Instant Gratification
Swiping essentially expedites the dating process because singles don’t have to wait long to find matches. Swipe rights allow singles to see who their matches are instantly, so before even sending a message, you already know someone is attracted and interested in you.
Compare this to traditional dating methods, where finding a match is a bit slower and requires a bit more work on members’ end to see if interest is mutual.
“With dating apps, I simply have to swipe left or right, message someone I match with, and ask them when they are free,” said Melissa Pandika in a MIC article.
Paradox of Choice
Having choices can be a good thing and a bad thing. And swiping on dating apps opens the door to an abundance of options. Having choices may feel good because you have options for love, or it can feel overwhelming because you don’t know what to choose.
Most people end up unhappy and disappointed because they settle for the first match they find. Users claim that they feel more satisfied with the swipe method because they don’t feel limited or have to commit to one match. The downside is they can get caught up in the chase and never actually commit to anyone.
Casual Dating Normalized
While online dating started as a way for people to find long-term romantic relationships, it’s now used for casual dates, friendship, chatting, and, of course, situationships. Swiping changed dating expectations and was a huge driver for hookup culture. Which has left many singles comfortable with the idea of keeping things casual.
But there’s also been a lot of noise with singles becoming weary and burning out as they swipe through incompatible people. The rise of the idea of online dating as a game has set back a lot of singles from moving forward in their dating lives.
Emotional Detachment
Although swiping makes the matchmaking process a lot faster, it does lack in fostering deeper connections. It’s easy to hop around and explore multiple connections when you swipe and have a lot of matches available for you. As a result, more ghosting occurs, and people treat each other like numbers and photos rather than individuals.
Social Implications
Swiping right has had a bigger impact on the world than just helping people build relationships. Something shifted for people socially when swipe rights came into place. Some of these shifts have even helped push society into a more evolved and inclusive dating community.
Changing Gender Dynamics
It’s safe to say that back in the day, men were in charge of initiating relationships and choosing their partners. Whereas women had the shorter end of the stick. They didn’t have much choice but to date men who could take care of them financially.
But now the dynamic has changed for the better. More women are educated, have careers of their own, and don’t have to settle.
With swiping apps, women are empowered to make choices about who can talk to them — causing men to deal with a new level of frustration that comes with the competitiveness of online dating.
The truth is that men outnumber women on most dating platforms, and straight men also feel less hesitation about meeting with someone new, so they have no reason not to swipe and message. Women are the choosers.
Swiping has created a level playing field in dating. Women don’t have to be as vulnerable to every jerk online wanting to send a pickup line. And men don’t always have to be the first ones to initiate a conversation.
Intersectionality & Representation
When deciding if you should give a swipe-based dating app a try, It’s important to know what you’re getting into and how swipe culture affects different demographics. For instance, LGBTQ+ singles often favor online dating because it’s a safe way for them to meet like-minded people. There’s no need to guess the orientation of other members. It’s on the profile.
Swiping apps help create a safer dating environment, but they also can put people in certain boxes. Minorities often face stereotypes and get fewer matches if they don’t fit the majority’s dating preference. Focusing on appearances rather than character is a big problem singles complain about.
“I can’t even open the internet to scroll and look at new recipes without somebody talking about how undesirable my gender and race is,” commented a Reddit user. “It’s best to just not list the preference and always swipe right on who you want.”
The Biases and Pushback
As we all know, the online world can be a cruel place sometimes, and swipes revolve around people judging each other’s appearances. That can be pretty toxic.
Body-shaming, ghosting, and nasty comments can lead people down the road to insecurities and low self-esteem. Unfortunately, people will be biased and swipe left on people for all sorts of arbitrary reasons. My advice is simple: Don’t take those judgments to heart.
Online validation is a heavy topic that can impact the mental health of young people, especially. Likes, shares, and comments seem very important for single people.
When daters don’t receive enough attention, they may feel as though their self-worth has plummeted through the floor. Comparing likes and the number of matches you’ve received will only hamper your dating journey.
The Future of Dating in the Swipe-Right Era
Regardless of what works and doesn’t work, it’s almost certain that the swipe-right era is not coming to an end. In fact, I believe that dating apps will evolve and head in a direction where swipes will be a primary way for people to notice one another. But it still may not be everyone’s cup of tea — and that’s ok too!
Swiping With More Meaning
The number one complaint about swiping is that it doesn’t feel genuine. But app developers and CEOs are actively working toward making swiping more meaningful by providing members with the option to share more information on their profiles. Plus, video and voice features have become more common on dating apps to give singles more of a personal feel.
“I had this lightbulb moment…video dating is going to be the next wave.” — Kim Kaplan, Snack CEO
Premium swipe features such as Super Likes and Roses can further help daters stand out and express serious romantic interest in a profile.
A lot of dating apps have begun to set limits on how many swipes members can make a day in hopes of encouraging daters to take it more seriously. When people feel like they only have a few swipe rights to give out, they tend to be more selective.
Shifts in Relationship Expectations
With everyone being on the fence about online dating, it’s hard to find serious matches these days. It wouldn’t surprise me to see intentional daters moving toward real-life dating or video dating to get a real connection going.
I think those eye-to-eye conversations just have more of an impact, so it makes sense that speed dating is getting to be more popular for modern singles.
This isn’t to say that online dating will disappear, but it could be overtaken by hookup culture. As it is, when I glance at my friend’s Tinder account, it seems casual attitudes are the overwhelming majority.
Online Dating May Not be the Best Matchmaker
Online dating isn’t everyone’s go-to way to meet someone. Sometimes, singles need a matchmaker. Sometimes they just need a friend to introduce them on a blind date.
Alternative dating practices are gaining more popularity as Gen Z singles in particular prefer offline events and hangouts to meet people. I think it’s good to mix things up. Online dating can help you find a match, but it might not help you find the perfect match you’re looking for.
Swiping Right Can Have Powerful Implications
Swiping in dating culture has encouraged singles to be more brave in expressing who they’re into and who they’re not really feeling.
It’s crucial to keep a balance between speed and intentionality when swiping. It may be convenient, but if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up with superficial connections and ghosted chats.
You can swipe right into your next relationship or next fling — the choice is yours.
“My swipe on him was my ‘one more for the road’ because I was fatigued with the apps and had so many bad dates. We talked for three hours over dinner. A year later and we’re going strong,” said Reddit user u/oldmanpuzzles.
