The use of dating apps is widespread. Most people have heard of apps like Tinder or websites like Match.com, but the online landscape is rich and varied - catering for every niche, with apps aimed at long-term relationships (Hinge), causal encounters and affairs (Grindr, Ashley Madison), marriage (Muzmatch, Salams) and friendship (Bumble).

But are dating apps a good thing? Many exalt the liberating effect of online dating. Whereas traditionally dating often involved chance encounters on nights out, now you can interact with hundreds of potential partners from the comfort and safety of your own home. Some even propose apps as a possible solution to loneliness and alienation, helping those lacking confidence to meet like-minded people.

Others, however, are more critical, claiming dating apps create a mindset that there’s always something better at the next swipe, and contributing to an increasingly atomised world. In addition, only half of users surveyed said they’d had positive experiences using dating apps, with women in particular reporting unwanted behaviour. Surprisingly, only a 42% of users suggested apps actually make it easier to search for a partner.

So, do dating apps open up new world of choice, helping people step out of their comfort zone and connect with others in a safer, more convenient way? Or do they create a dystopian romantic landscape based on algorithms in which dating is treated almost as a game, and which could actually increase social atomisation? And can, and should, app designers do more to discourage bad behaviours, or is this a matter for individual users?

Speakers:

Luke Brunning is a Lecturer in Applied and Inter-Disciplinary Ethics at the IDEA Centre at the University of Leeds, where he runs the Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships and the Ethical Dating Online Research Network.

Natasha McKeever is a Lecturer in Applied Ethics at IDEA at the IDEA Centre at the University of Leeds, co-directs the Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships and co-leads the Ethical Dating Online Research Network.