The Tinder app was launched in September 2012. At one time, it really changed online dating for millions of people and became extremely popular. For example, even in 2014, the number of profile visits per day reached 450 million. And growth in new users was about 15% per week. Huge numbers, right?
In 2015, Tinder began to introduce paid features and look for various ways to monetize their service. The audience took it negatively, but in general, this did not affect the popularity of the application. Tinder continued to grow its audience. In 2016, it was firmly in the top downloads in the AppStore in more than thirty countries.
For a long time, it looked like Tinder would remain a major player in the web dating industry for years to come. And there were good reasons for that. However, in 2018, the situation began to change. And today, the younger generation ignores it en masse. Why is this happening and what alternative do representatives of Generation Z choose for themselves? Let’s figure it out!
How Tinder began to lose its audience and why it happened
As we said above, 2018 was a turning point for Tinder. It was this year that the developers ended the ability to register on the site without being tied to a phone number. On one hand, this was a logical decision — this way the platform was able to more effectively deal with scammers, bots, and fakes. But on the other hand, not all ordinary users were ready to link their phone number to an account in a dating app. And that is completely understandable.
But the situation with mobile numbers was just the beginning…
Around the same time, accusations against Tinder and Grindr that the apps were contributing to the spread of syphilis and HIV began to circulate in the media. The articles usually referred to the data from the health department of the small state of Rhode Island, the results of research by British scientists, and unnamed experts from the United Nations.
It is important to note here that there were no actual specifics in these accusations. Therefore, the conclusion suggested that someone was involved in negative promotion against Tinder and Grindr. Although representatives of the companies tried to challenge all these unsubstantiated accusations, this did not have much effect. Information spread very quickly, and the reputation of dating services was significantly shaken.
There was another important nuance that also worked against Tinder. It has been called the “one-night stand dating app” for years now. And with this, unfortunately, it is difficult to argue. Tens of thousands of Tinder users are not aiming for a serious and lasting relationship at all. Many are simply looking for new experiences and intimacy without obligation. Therefore, from year to year, the number of serious-minded users is decreasing. And this trend seems to be gaining momentum.
Why the young audience is boycotting Tinder
Right now, Tinder is making every possible effort to attract a young and active audience. But so far, these attempts have not yielded many results. At the end of 2021, the number of app downloads fell by 5%. And apparently, this negative trend is continuing during 2022. And possibly longer…
Gary Svidler, COO and CFO of Match Group (Tinder’s parent company) says: “User registrations have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Attracting new users remains a challenge, and here we need to offer innovative solutions to the audience. This is the only way we can give people a good reason to return to the dating app.”
It’s true that millennials and other older groups are still actively using Tinder and other dating services. But not zoomers. They are quite skeptical about the format of online dating in its usual form and for the most part, refuse it.
Recently, YouthSight, a research agency that studies Generation Z, conducted a large survey among zoomers to understand how they feel about modern dating applications. The results are very revealing:
- 90% of those surveyed said they were disappointed with dating apps
- 40% admit that they feel happy even when they are alone
- more than half of the respondents consider themselves not that inclined toward relationships on principle.
Based on this, we can conclude that the younger generation is more prone to a solitary existence, and the problem actually lies not just with Tinder or other dating applications. Zoomers are not so willing to go into a serious relationship and are often prone to loneliness.
How can dating services really attract the younger generation?
Perhaps one of the most high-profile statements from Tinder representatives in recent years has been that the company is working on creating its own “Tinderverse” metaverse. It is easy to deduce that interest in the metaverse appeared after Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, spoke about it. But here Tinder has several problems at once:
- Lack of a clear understanding of what the Tinderverse metaverse will be like. Statements about work on it were made in 2021, but we still have not seen any specific information.
- Development of the Tinderverse may take a very long time. For example, Facebook says it plans to recruit 10,000 people over five years to work on the creation of its metaverse. Does Tinder have that much in the way of time and resources? This is a reasonable question.
- Audience members (including the young ones) still do not understand well why they need metaverses at all. In addition, VR and AR equipment is still unreasonably expensive.
The average zoomer is more likely to choose a familiar and understandable online video chat, rather than a controversial metaverse, the only task of which is to extort money from users.
Speaking of video chats…
Against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, since 2020, many online video chat services have shown a rapid increase in audience. Including among the zoomers. And the reason is not only in the desire to communicate with new people, but also that the video chat format was popularized by bloggers. For a young audience, influencers are still serious authorities.
However, generation Z doesn’t care for “classic” online video chats, but more advanced and atypical ones:
- Azar — an application that successfully combines the functionality of a classic chatroulette and a messenger. Plus, there is a search for people nearby, like in Tinder, which greatly simplifies finding people and allows you to quickly transfer your interaction offline.
- CooMeet — a chat with girls that will appeal primarily to single men. It has a unique gender filter and connects men only with girls. And the girls, in turn, must confirm their identity. CooMeet also has a built-in message translator, an indispensable tool for communicating with foreign speakers.
- Holla — a very popular video chat that, among other things, has a live broadcast function that users can use to attract viewers. If you are an active and sociable person, you may like this format.
This is only a small part of online video chats that are attracting more and more attention from a young audience today. It is likely that in the near future some of them will overtake classic dating apps in popularity. And for sure they will seriously compete with the forthcoming metaverses.
There are better options than dating apps
It is obvious that despite the temporary recovery during the pandemic, now Tinder and its rivals are not going through the best of times. And any new features are unlikely to radically change the situation in the near future. Young people increasingly prefer online video chat and classic messengers for communication. And the older generation, although it remains quite active, often suffers from its own conservatism and unwillingness to try something new.
Will Tinder be popular in a couple of years? Likely yes rather than no. But we are almost 100% sure that the application will not be able to return to the numbers of 2012-2014. The format has simply become obsolete, and until it is radically transformed, it will not be possible to gain a new large audience. Of course, we might be wrong, but so far everything looks like that.
