With Valentine’s Day just passed, many of us saw our Instagram and news feeds flooded with photos of roses, chocolates and other gestures of love. But what’s really happening amidst the backend development of modern online dating? 

The online dating industry in Australia has experienced huge growth in the last few years, with a value of over $120 million. 1 in 5 people between the ages of 18-40 have turned online to look for a partner. It is only natural that we want someone who has the same interests as us, and why not use the Internet to do that. Want a partner that shares the same food allergy as you? Is also passionate about Star Trek? Or you specifically want a partner with a mullet? Yep, there’s a website for all of that.

With the rise of Tinder and other instant apps, your soulmate could be a simple click or swipe away. However research suggests that the way these apps are constructed may be affecting those connections we do make and those we reject. 

Tinder claims 3.5 million people in Australia use their app, which equates to 15% of the total population. The way in which Tinder is constructed encourages users to make a quick decision and swipe ‘yes’ or ‘no’ after seeing only a single photo (to view the person’s profile in greater detail requires more effort). Studies show that when pictures of people are viewed quickly in succession, then the viewer may rate the faces as more attractive if they follow someone that is rated highly attractive. However if a longer amount of time is taken to look at images of people, then the opposite effect may occur. 

Source: Janin Mayer and Evi Bitran, pictured with their son Elliav, met via dating website RSVP. They married 18 months later. 

Sites like eharmony.com.au and RSVP use algorithms to find your one true love. Predictive algorithms look at your user profile, your characteristics and preferences - crunch the numbers and match you with suitable partners. RSVP’s algorithm uses ‘behaviour based matching’ that balances what you say you want out of a partner and your own behaviour. ‘Triangulation’ is another tool to match people by looking at other users who have liked the same people as you and then link you with those people. 

So is the complex science behind attraction and love now easily solvable by an algorithm? The answer will probably never be solved but with 1,200 new members joining RSVP.com.au per day and eHarmony claiming it is responsible for 11,000 marriages in Australia so far, there is no denying that more and more Australians are relying on technology to find ‘the one’. 

Source: The Science of Online Dating

With so many options out there it is important to analyse the way in which an app is constructed and how users may interact with its material. Here at OnQue we are forever interested in what’s around the corner in our constantly evolving innovative world and specialise in everything from bespoke data analysis to app development, check out more here to see how we can drive your digital success.