Mobile dating services, also known as cell dating, cellular dating, or cell phone dating, allow individuals to chat,
flirt
Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving spoken or written communication, as well as body language. It is either to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with the other person or, if done playfully, for amusement.
I ...
, meet, and possibly become romantically involved by means of
text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...
, mobile chatting, and the
mobile web
The mobile web refers to mobile browser-based World Wide Web services accessed from handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, through a mobile or other wireless network.
History and development
Traditionally, the ...
.
These services allow their users to provide information about themselves in a short profile which is either stored in their phones as a dating ID or as a username on the mobile dating site. They can then search for other IDs online or by calling a certain phone number dictated by the service. The criteria include age, gender and sexual preference. Usually these sites are free to use but standard text messaging fees may still apply as well as a small fee the dating service charges per message.
Mobile dating websites, in order to increase the opportunities for meeting, focus attention on users that share the same social network and proximity. Some companies even offer services such as ''homing devices'' to alert users when another user is within thirty feet of one another. Some systems involve bluetooth technology to connect users in locations such as bars and clubs. This is known as proximity dating. These systems are actually more popular in some countries in Europe and Asia than online dating. With the advent of
GPS Phone
A satellite navigation device (satnav device) is a user equipment that uses one or more of several global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to calculate the device's geographical position and provide navigational advice.
Depending on the s ...
s and
GSM localization
The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such as ...
, proximity dating is likely to rise sharply in popularity.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle in 2005, "Mobile dating is the next big leap in online socializing." More than 3.6 million cell phone users logged into mobile dating sites in March 2007,Love is just a cellphone away Globe and Mail, July 11, 2007 with most users falling between the ages of 27-35.
Some experts believe that the rise in mobile dating is due to the growing popularity of online dating. Others believe it is all about choice, as Joe Brennan Jr., vice president of Webdate says, "It's about giving people a choice. They don't have to date on their computer. They can date on their handset, it's all about letting people decide what path is best for them." A recently published study shows that currently 7.8 million singles in the UK search for a partner online every month. This is already a significant increase from 2011 (6.3 million). This increase is allegedly caused by Mobile Dating due to current social dating services like Tinder or Badoo, which allow people to quickly make new contacts on the go. The Online Dating Market in the UK 2014-2015, October 14, 2015
The rise of mobile dating and in particular, dating app Tinder has changed the way people meet potential partners and date. Some believe that the proliferation of such apps has fueled modern dating behaviors. Has Tinder replaced dating with hookup culture?, August 18, 2015
Drawbacks
Some avoid these services for fear that the technology could be used to electronically harass users.Phone Play Plus Code of practice , Ref: 7.3 (Virtual Chat services) and 7.4 (Contact and Dating services), October, 2007 Another issue is "asymmetry of interests", i.e. an attractive user receives excessive attention from other users and leaves, which may result in deterioration of membership. Crush or Flush Mobile Dating Review, March, 2008 At the 2012 iDate Mobile Dating Conference, the first ever consumer focus group for mobile dating apps unanimously reiterated the same complaints from years prior.
All participants had some concerns about risk. These concerns varied between participants and included physical, emotional and sexual risks, the risk of being scammed, the risk of encountering dangerous and dodgy people, the risk of pregnancy, risks to family and the risk of lies and deceit. To counter these risks, participants undertook various activities that made use of the technological resources available to them and also assessed how others did or did not use technology.
An issue amplified by dating apps is a phenomenon known as ' Ghosting (relationships), ghosting', whereby one party in a relationship cuts off all communication with the other party without warning or explanation. Ghosting poses a serious problem for dating apps as it can lead to users deleting the apps. For this reason companies like
Bumble
Bumble is an online dating application. Profiles of potential matches are displayed to users, who can "swipe left" to reject a candidate or "swipe right" to indicate interest. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contac ...
and
Badoo
Badoo is a dating-focused social network founded by Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev in 2006. It is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus and London, United Kingdom,
Mobile dating market
Mobile dating began to take shape in 2003. History of Mobile Dating Infographic ProxiDating was one of the first dating services using Bluetooth. In 2004 Match.com, Webdate and Lavalife were the mobile dating early leaders. It wasn't until the iPhone arrived in 2007 that mobile dating took off. 2010 was the year mobile dating becoming mainstream. Starting from 2012, mobile dating has been gradually overtaking online dating. Match.com and POF.com Dating in Mobile World Article, Huffington Post now see over 40% of their log-ins coming from mobile phones. The mobile dating market is expected to grow to $1.4B by 2013.Juniper Research Report Summary on TechCrunch Juniper Research Report Summary on TechCrunch
3G Dating is emerging as 3G networks and Video Mobiles become more widespread. The potential for one-to-one video calling offers additional safety and helps ensures members are real.
In the dating market, both online dating sites are adding mobile web versions and applications to phones. Some sites are offered as mobile only for Phones and Pads, with no access to web versions.
Mobile dating apps market is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion". In 2013 there was "exponential growth" of dating websites creating apps and dating apps being used through a mobile device. Tinder (app), Tinder has been up to par competing in this market "as of October 2014, the app has more than fifty million users" and also it is valued "anywhere from $750 million to $1 billion".
Online dating applications
An online dating application is an online dating service presented through a mobile phone application (app), often taking advantage of a smartphone, smartphone's GPS location capabilities, always on-hand presence, easy access to digital photo gall ...
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Online dating service
Online dating, also known as Internet dating, Virtual dating, or Mobile app dating, is a relatively recent method used by people with a goal of searching for and interacting with potential romantic or sexual partners, via the internet. An onlin ...