A couple of months after his marriage ended, Ian Howarth signed up with an online dating app. A client had told the marketing writer: "You need to get onto Bumble you'll be a catch," he says, laughing.
But online dating was like learning a new language for the dad who was single again after 28 years. Howarth duly uploaded his profile to Bumble via Facebook, which the app allows. But it also meant the algorithm divined that the 52-year-old Aucklander was after someone older, and he was suddenly matched with women over 60 seeking "hook ups" (casual encounters).
Eventually, Howarth got the wording right to indicate he was interested in a more settled relationship. Not long after he rewrote his profile, he met his current partner, who lives in another part of Auckland. They moved in very different social circles. He says they would have been very unlikely to have met without the help of a dating app. "If you are in a position where you're trying to meet people, there is no simpler or easier or better approach than online dating," he says.
The biggest players in dating apps have been around for about a decade: market leader Tinder has been downloaded more than 530 million times since its 2012 launch, leading to more than 75 billion matches (where both parties "swipe right" to indicate they like each other). Bumble, founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd, one of the original partners in Tinder, will turn 10 in December next year. In 2022, more than one billion matches were struck through Bumble, and more than 10.1 billion messages were exchanged on the app.
On Bumble, the woman has to make the first move. Other big players in the online love race are Badoo, Hinge, aimed at younger adults, and Grindr, launched in 2009 and aimed then at gay men (it's since broadened to the wider LGBTQI+ community).
TRENDING OLDER, FEMALE
Denne historien er fra December 02-08, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra December 02-08, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sights to behold
Being blind didn't deter Aucklander FRASER ALEXANDER and his partially-sighted wife from travelling in Europe. Their memories were shaped by sound, touch and smell.
Pages of delight
Charming survey of children's literature throughout the centuries should be treasured and reread.
Heart of the matter
Women are less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than men, and less likely to get best treatment. Researchers are struggling with old stereotypes to right the balance.
Balaclava beats
Their paramilitary shtick is intentionally menacing, offensive and alienating, but to be fair to the hip-hop trio Kneecap, their infamous balaclava is disarmingly hilarious. Kneecap, the 2024 movie that offers a fictionalised account of their rise to fame, is a Bafta- and Oscar-nominated Northern Irish film sensation.
Friends like these
One of the stranger characteristics of the populist oligarchy mobilising around Donald Trump's new administration is the interest taken in the domestic politics of the UK.
Irresistible force
A new documentary about gentle rugby giant Jonah Lomu reveals little but is a reminder of what made him special.
Fleeing the nest
A tale of building a new life after an abusive relationship makes for an impressive debut.
Life less ordinary
Chelsie Preston Crayford follows a big 2024 with a new comedy role and putting the finishing touches on her debut feature as a director and writer.
Not on our watch
Nasa, one of the most technologically advanced organisations on the planet, made prospective astronauts take inkblot tests to determine their sexuality.
No free lunch
The new, cut-price school lunch programme will shut out many community providers. But will bulk-supplied meals meet children’s needs?
