Global Love Report – February 14th, 2024
English summary by Margaret Wuwur
According to an analysis by data.ai in 2023, users in the Netherlands downloaded dating apps 4.9 million times, spending a total of 68.9 million euros, an increase of 17 million euros from the previous year.
Tinder users in the Netherlands spent 38.2 million euros and 8.9 million euros on Bumble. In the initial years, these dating apps were completely free and had limited features.
As a result, these dating apps offered premium subscriptions with more features. Linda Duits, a media scientist at Utrecht University, stated that this is very clever, as many people feel frustrated with the limitations of swiping.
The emphasis on monetary gain over user experience has led to criticism of many dating apps. The emergence of expensive subscriptions, such as Tinder’s VIP experience, is an example of this trend.
These subscriptions often offer benefits such as being visible to the most popular accounts and being able to send messages to people without a match, further promoting a culture of exclusivity.
Despite these negative aspects, dating apps continue to be a favored method for partner-seeking due to their convenience and potential for extending one’s social circle.
Duits noted that while people may be weary of dating apps, they still rely on them. This puts pressure on the apps to demonstrate their value and utility to users by innovating new features. However, the growing user frustration may eventually lead to a shift towards offline methods of connection.
Originally published by: RTL Nieuws
