Credit mobile dating apps such as Tinder, which incorporate fun elements and are dead simple to use. Swipe right on a profile picture to approve and swipe left to reject. No awkward messages to each other unless both say yes. But instead of just looking for long-term love, some people are turning to these services for one-night stands and even advice from locals when traveling. Others just want to look at sexyβand not-so-sexyβpics when they're bored. When he's bored, he turns to Tinder to start swiping on women in the app, even when he doesn't feel like talking to anyone.
Young adults, ages 18 to 24, traditionally haven't been big online daters. They haven't had much of a need, as they are typically surrounded by other young, single people, whether at work or school, said Aaron Smith, associate research director with the Pew Research Center. Tinder and rivals such as Hinge are changing the dynamics, and young adults are using online dating in greater numbers than any other age group these days.
In , only 10 percent in that age group used online dating. That rose to 27 percent in the latest Pew study, which was released Thursday.
By comparison, only 15 percent of U. If that seems low, it's because the entire U. For people who have never been married, 30 percent have used online dating. Stanford University professor Michael Rosenfeld wrote in a paper that the Internet could be helpful for people in "thin" dating markets, ones with relatively fewer options for possible partners in their regular life. That includes gays, lesbians and middle-aged straight people, he said. But newer dating apps seem to have made it fun for young people to useβor at least pass the time.
Alfred Mohi, 24, said he has used Tinder for flings with people he doesn't want to see again, and for the emotional high of matching and talking with women he deems attractive. But he said he wouldn't use Tinder to find a significant other, because he believes it's harder to trust people you meet on the app. Others describe Tinder as convenient and fun, and possibly a route to a relationshipβbut there are obstacles.
