Dating apps have become a ubiquitous part of modern dating culture, with millions of people relying on them to find love, or just a fling. However, as with any other business, the primary objective of these apps is to make money. And while they may claim to be interested in helping people find long-term relationships, the truth is that their main motivation is to keep their users engaged and active for as long as possible.

One of the key ways in which dating apps make money is by collecting and monetizing user data. The more data they collect, the more revenue they can generate. And to keep their users active and engaged, they employ a number of psychological tricks and tactics that are similar to those used by gambling machines.

The swiping mechanism used by dating apps, such as Tinder, is inspired by a 1940s psychological experiment that turned pigeons into “gambling fanatics.” The idea behind the swiping mechanism is to create a variable reinforcement schedule, where users are randomly rewarded with matches, much like pigeons were conditioned to believe that food was delivered randomly into a tray. The more users swipe, the more they hope to earn matches, essentially turning them into gamblers.

In addition to the variable reinforcement schedule, dating apps also use classical conditioning, where users associate favourable and rewarding outcomes or events with specific physiological stimuli, such as sounds, lights, and sensations. Both operant and classical conditioning can have an addictive effect on users, making them want to use the app more and more.

The addictiveness of dating apps is further compounded by their paywall model, where many of the most desirable features, such as the ability to message the most desirable users, are hidden behind a paywall. This creates a sense of scarcity, making users want to pay for the app to access these features.

The near-monopolization of the industry by Match Group, which has acquired over 25 online dating services since its incorporation in 2009, has only added to the dominance of these apps and their ability to influence the dating habits of millions of people.

In 2021, Tinder, one of the largest dating apps, made $1.6 billion in revenue, a 17% increase from the previous year. It had 75 million monthly active users and 9.6 million subscribers in 2021. Three-quarters of Tinder’s users are male.

Dating apps may claim to be interested in helping people find long-term relationships, but the truth is that their primary motivation is to keep their users active and engaged for as long as possible, to generate more revenue. To do this, they employ a number of psychological tricks and tactics, including variable reinforcement schedules and classical conditioning, that are similar to those used by gambling machines. With the near-monopolization of the industry by Match Group, the influence of these apps on the dating habits of millions of people is only set to increase.