Many hailed it as the end of romance itself. This scepticism, clearly, did not have much of an impact. However, a new study, published last month in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , was less positive, finding compulsive use made swipers feel lonelier than they did in the first place.
This was particularly bad for those with low self-esteem: the less confident someone was, the more compulsive their use β and the worse they felt at the end of it. This echoes what is felt by many users. While the web-based dating sites such as Match. In fact swipe fatigue has prompted some daters to try an analogue approach.
A few years ago, when Tindermania was in full swing, visiting a matchmaker would have seemed outdated at best, tragic at worst. Caroline Brealey founded Mutual Attraction , a London-based matchmaking service, eight years ago; since then, she says, the company has seen a dramatic increase in younger clients.
People are fed up with the online experience, she believes, left jaded by what they see as its transactional nature. Unlike online dating, which can see you ghosted even after meeting, matchmakers give you feedback. Crucially, they only match you with others who are seriously looking for a relationship.
An even younger demographic β undergraduate students β also seems to be worrying about its odds of finding love online. But with nearly 5, students signing up in Stanford alone, it does indicate that even carefree, digital-first young people are concerned about their online prospects and want an app-free alternative.
