The landscape of romantic relationships and finding “the one” looks a lot different than it did in decades past.

The world of dating was changed forever with the invention of the very first online dating site. Match.com was launched in 1995, and since then, around 30% of U.S. adults have reported using online dating platforms before, according to Pew Research.

To learn more, GBH’s Morning Edition spoke with Kathryn Coduto — an assistant professor of media science at Boston University who has been studying dating apps for about a decade.

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How many people use dating apps?

Coduto said interest in online dating has accelerated in the last 15 years — especially with the invention of apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge.

“Prior to [online dating] being on mobile phones, there was often stigma around things like OKCupid, like using Match, eHarmony, all of those, because they felt really serious, and they were. They’re very intentional,” she said. “Whereas younger users might feel like, 'Oh, I don’t know if I want to commit to creating this huge online profile. I don’t want to have to sit on a desktop and kind of work through these questions.’ And so Tinder created a forum for people to really dip their toes into online dating and feel like they didn’t have to take it so seriously.”

Tinder has around 60 million active monthly users worldwide, according to the latest data.

How have phone-based apps changed the world of dating?

The lighter approach that mobile dating apps provide has made the process of online dating more “gamified,” according to Coduto.

“Tinder presents potential partners as a stack of cards. So you’re essentially looking at a card deck of people that you could potentially go on a date with. But it’s not just the fact that you get to see them as a card deck, but you get to indicate interest by swiping left or right. And you both have to swipe right in order to be able to message each other,” she said. “And that really is an innovative change in the dating landscape, especially when Tinder debuted over a decade ago.”

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She added that apps have made it so that users can “swipe and swipe and swipe” without committing to any further communication — sometimes using the app only as a self-esteem booster to find out who is interested in them.

Does the existence of dating apps change people’s approach to relationships?

Codudo said having mobile apps readily available has also influenced how some people perceive romantic connections.

“Before online dating, if you wanted to meet someone, you had to go through friends or family or maybe your church or work — you were much more limited,” she said.

“Online dating really opens that up, and this does create this massive illusion of choice, which on the one hand can be really healthy, because it is great for people to meet someone outside of their established friend groups. On the other hand, this can be really difficult for daters to navigate because there is this feeling of, 'well, maybe the person I’m messaging with now isn’t as good as who could be the next swipe.’”

A recent survey by Forbes Health/One Poll found that 45% of Americans reported online dating apps as the top source for meeting someone to date.

Despite those numbers, Coduto said there has also been a trend in recent years of people leaning more towards “IRL” — “in real life” — connections.

“In the wake of Covid, there was a lot of technology fatigue. Every facet of life was online for 2020 into 2021. And I am not surprised to see people saying, 'I just need a break from my screen,'” she said. “And I think especially for romance, it’s so interesting to think about, because as people try and decide what will they keep online versus what will go offline, romance is something that people [are very precious about]. There’s a feeling that maybe this doesn’t need to be something that’s [relegated] to a screen — maybe I can have that meet-cute out in the wild and I can have that really precious story that people like to share.”

What does the future of dating apps look like?

Mobile dating is likely here to stay, according to Coduto — but our usage of them will continue to evolve over time.

“I think in the more immediate future, we’re going to see the dating app companies really try and integrate AI. They’re already doing it. And I do think one thing that you’ll notice on the consumer side is a hesitance for this,” she said.

Major dating app platforms like Hinge, Tinder and Bumble are all using AI in their current models — employing features like “premium” AI matchmaking to find potential connections.

“I think what you’ll also see is just less priority around [mobile dating],” Coduto said. “I think a lot of people will say, 'OK, I have dating apps, but I’m going to try and join a run club, or I’m gonna go in person to a speed dating event and see what comes of that first.’”