The world of online dating has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades, and it has certainly come a long way in the UK.
From an activity that was heavily frowned upon in the 1990s to a necessity in the 2010s, online dating has been revolutionized on multiple levels all across the island.
Two of the largest factors that have contributed to the popularity and profitability of online dating that we see today are mobile computing and social media.
A $2.1 billion industry worldwide, online dating has not only seen its own revolution, but it has also revolutionized the way people meet and start relationships in the 21st century, all thanks to technological developments.
The connoisseurs of the business agree that there are three revolutionary stages that online dating has gone through to become a giant that it is today, including the Search Stage, the Algorithm Stage, and the App Stage.
The Search Stage
Over the course of the 20-year history of online dating in the UK, the first stage, also known as the Search Stage, saw an early development of the online dating world.
The Search Stage lasted for a few years and was characterized by a mere ability of the users to search for other singles based on their age, location and sexual preference, among other things.
However, as primitive as the Search Stage may have been, it opened the door for unprecedented success that online dating has seen over the period of two decades.
Now we move onto the:
The Algorithm Stage
In the early 2000s, the world of online dating was forever changed when sophisticated software and algorithms entered the picture and created the Algorithm Stage.
The search for the perfect match became far less random, and it was performed by advanced algorithms based on the traits and qualities that the users were looking for in a partner.
These algorithms produced the most compatible matches that could be found on online dating sites and the results led to a huge boost in the industry.
Most online dating sites still use fancy algorithms to find matches and create couples for the offline world.
The App Stage
The Algorithm Stage is followed by the App Stage, which is a result of the technological revolution we’ve all been witnessing in every sphere of life.
The stigma that was once associated with online dating is long gone, and anyone who is serious about dating has an app or two to help in the search.
These online dating apps have become pretty cool and handy, thanks to the enormous number of users, not only in the UK but across the globe.
In other words – everyone’s doing it!
Online dating apps let users find their matches in real life faster than ever before and are highly entertaining to use, appealing to the general population and making online dating mainstream.