There are different forms of online dating ranging from matchmaking services to sites that function more like social media platforms where users peruse each other's profiles and interact freely. Monetization models also vary. Some sites are free and ad-supported, others use a freemium approach with optional paid upgrades, and some rely solely on membership subscriptions.
History of Online Dating
Online dating has a surprisingly long history stretching back to 1959 when, as part of a class project at Stanford, Jim Harvey and Phil Fialer matched 49 men with 49 women via a questionnaire and an IBM 650. They dubbed their project the "Happy Families Planning Service."
Even before computers came into the picture, singles would use things like newspaper personal ads to seek out strangers who might become their future mates. Over the years different technological advances gave rise to different versions of this idea including telephone, mail order, and video based dating services. The birth of the internet allowed people to connect with each other from their homes leading to the modern version of online dating that allowed love seekers to peruse the profiles of prospective mates.
In the 2000s, the popularity of smartphones and their associated applications or “apps” saw many online dating services like OKCupid, Match.com, and JDate launch apps to work alongside their websites. Additionally, there was a huge upswing in entirely app-based services like Grindr, which employs cell phone GPS technology to tell users how close potential dates might be, and Tinder, which uses a “swipe right/swipe left” interface to allow users to quickly accept or reject potential matches. Dating apps expanded on the online dating premise, making the entire process faster and easier than ever.