Online dating is like a wild rollercoaster. Some find true love at the end, while others treat it like a swipe-right video game, forgetting there are real hearts behind those profiles. Over the years, online dating has come a long way from those clunky websites to super-sophisticated, business-minded apps. I’ve been on Bumble for about a year, getting some matches, but none have led to anything other than virtual chit-chat. On one occasion, all we could talk about was our shared disdain for a particular university. So, what’s the point of all these dating apps? I wondered.

Today, most dating apps offer subscription services with features designed to help you find your ideal match. At first, the idea of paying for a dating app might seem a tad desperate, right? But let’s look back in time. In India, where arranged marriages are still all the rage, people have been shelling out cash for matchmakers for quite a while now. Even the legendary Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother paid for matchmaking. So, the concept of paying for love is not exactly new.

The financials of the popular dating app Bumble provide valuable insights into this aspect. The company reported that in the second quarter of 2023, their revenue shot up by 23% to a whopping $208 million. Paying users also jumped by 28% to 2.5 million. That’s a lot of people who’ve decided to put their money where their hearts are. But here’s the weird part, Bumble also revealed in their paperwork that, as users find meaningful relationships on their app, they’re not sticking around. In other words, Bumble’s success in helping you find love is actually not-so-great for their own business. It’s a funny twist, revealing that these apps might not always be in your best interest. Because when you’re happily in love, they’re not so thrilled on the business front.

The adventure of love in the digital age is a fascinating and, at times, contradictory journey that keeps us swiping, chatting, and wondering where it will ultimately lead.