Technology in dating: can algorithms and geolocation software help you to find love online?
One reason for the success of online dating is the way websites and apps have embraced technology. The first matchmaking service was launched a couple of decades ago, but these sites now attract millions across the globe, while the industry turns over billions of dollars. Of all the innovations helping singles connect, two of the most potent are algorithms and geolocation software. Can computer programs put you in touch with a soulmate? Here’s how joining a dating site in the 21st-century has become a surefire method of finding love – with technology.
Basic matching algorithms
At their most basic level, algorithms will assess the information you have provided during your application to join a dating site, as well as your behaviour after becoming a fully-fledged member. The software can analyze aspects of your background, such as your location, or the type of partner you’re seeking, then compare this with the information provided by other site users. Common ground can be flagged up far more effectively than if you were to spend some time sifting through profile after profile, looking for people sharing your tastes. This technology has proven to be especially useful for older demographics where anyone can enjoy interaction with like-minded individuals. With more and more matchmaking services for singles over 40 being launched, the upwards trend of membership for these sites was rising for a last decade. There is every indication those who enjoy, senior dating platforms for its social aspect will continue widening their friendship circle by utilizing the convenience of going online.
Personality tests
Another typical use of algorithms involves taking this sense of seeking compatible individuals to a more in-depth level. Some sites will go much further than basing how suitable someone might be based on a brief list of criteria. They will prepare exhaustive online questionnaires, and when this data is ingathered, it can create an even more comprehensive personality profile to be created.
Dating roulette
At its most simplistic, algorithms can home in on one factor. Never mind a tick list about hobbies you might share, or whether or not you prefer a certain hair colour. Software tied with ‘swiping’ can allow you to find love online instantaneously. You’ll be presented with profile images of other site users. All you have to do now is decide which ones you like, which you indicate by swiping your finger to the right, and those you aren’t particularly attracted to, by swiping in the other direction. As soon as your choices of ‘right swipes’ mirror those of another member, you can begin messaging each other.
Advances in algorithms
As algorithms are becoming ever more sophisticated, they are allowing websites to become proactive. The software will pay attention to your activities when you are online, as well as how you are interacting with the other site users. For instance, say you were in the habit of frequently searching for individuals with a taste for musical theater, then getting into online chats about your favourite shows. The relevant algorithm could send messages suggesting a venue for a night out, perhaps suggesting a few restaurants dotted around the vicinity of this location where you could relax if you feel like continuing your night out.
Dating by proximity – the power of geolocation
Think of geolocation as being like a matchmaking version of the SatNav that sits on your dashboard, steering you towards a pre-determined destination, pinpointing interesting destinations en route. Harnessing the same tech that allows mobile devices to be tracked in real-time, software is taking casual dating to new levels. In websites aimed at the casual end of the relationship spectrum, as opposed to long-term romance, individuals can receive instant notification of other members who happen to be in the vicinity. If you’re at all familiar with the social media popular with Millennials, Snapchat, you’ll appreciate how usernames can appear on a map, according to their present location.