Tinder's operating logics. An analysis of the application and the perceptions of the users.

Abstract

The number of mobile dating apps has been increasing. Among them, Tinder has achieved user recognition and received attention from the press and academia. However, it is still not clear how the different agents involved interact, nor how user information is processed and combined through the action of algorithms, shaping the results of using the app. Endeavoring to shed some light on these aspects, this paper explores how the design, architecture and affordances of the platform structure user actions and consequently shape the method of use questioning how the information is used and how the actions performed generate certain results through the action of algorithms. To do so, a qualitative methodology was used combining two data collection techniques: walkthrough method and interviews. This enables on the one hand a critical analysis to be made, by identifying Tinder’s different ways of working and how the usage flow is imposed; and on the other hand, understanding through users’ discourse, how the latter interprets the app’s different affordances while using it.

The main results show that users indicated that their actions were constrained at various times during use, although they circumvented (some) of the constraints by finding new methods of use. Some of the users did not seem to be aware of the presence and action of the algorithm, nor of how their information was used.