Overview

• Thomas Köhler argues that the fundamental flaw in dating apps’ business model is that they earn most from users who fail to find lasting matches
• Swipe-based platforms reduce connections to superficial criteria like age and appearance, leaving qualities such as intelligence and humor unaccounted for
• Sixty-one percent of German internet users aged 16 to 29 have tried dating apps and one in three adults across all age groups report using them
• Psychologists report that 'Online-Dating-Burnout' manifests as emotional exhaustion, cynicism and diminished performance
• Political expressions in profiles, from policy declarations to solidarity emojis, have become common and reflect growing polarization among users