Keyword – Tinder

Berger, Viktor:

Tinder, or the Mediatisation of Dating

This paper looks into the experiences of Tinder users from a materialist phenomenological perspective and in the context of the mediatisation of dating. The affordances of the application are created by a dynamic interplay between the properties of the user interface, the algorithm of the application, and the perceptions of the users. The user experience of Tinder is characterised by the dominance of visuality, speed, (self-)objectifying tendencies, and an atmosphere of cynicism and boredom. The application evinces the dualisms of reflexivity vs. impulsivity, superficiality vs. depth, and instrumentality vs. the desire for relationships conceived as authentic. Even so, some users are capable of relying on their existing real life knowledge and hence to counter the negative tendencies of the application. Albeit in a general and unsystematic way, this paper also attempts to provide some theoretical considerations for future empirical analyses of the Hungarian context.

Keywords: life-world, mediatisation, online dating, Tinder