Has the kickoff of the New Year reignited your desire to find love, or at least a date for Saturday night? You’re not the only one, in fact, this is the busiest time of the year for dating apps. They see their highest rate of activity from the beginning of January to February 14th - Valentine’s Day, research shows.
As we recently told you, the first Sunday of January is known as “Dating Sunday,” which is the busiest day of the year for online dating, according to Sheldon Bachan, Tinder’s senior brand communications manager. But beyond that one day, dating app users are still engaging a lot more right now. Tinder reports that there are 11.4-million more messages sent by users around the world from January 1st to Valentine’s Day than the rest of the year, along with 58.7-million more likes.
Those who made a resolution to look for love may feel like they have to spend money to get back on the dating apps, and the Pew Research Center reports that 35% of Americans who use online dating have paid to do so at some point. While the average paying dating app user is only spending $19 a month, some singles are paying a lot more. Tinder recently added a premium tier membership, Tinder Select for $499 a month, while Hinge now offers one for $600 a year.
The thing is, paying more money doesn’t mean you’re going to have more success on the apps. So before you enter that credit card number:
- Ask yourself if you’re ready. If you haven’t made changes in your life, paying for the app may not help your dating life.
- Think of the total expense of dating. A 2023 study finds that the average cost of a full dinner and a movie in major cities in the U.S. is $159. Do you want to spend more money on an app on top of that?
- Paying for apps doesn’t guarantee a match. According to dating coach Blaine Anderson, the most important thing for online dating is to have a standout profile. Spending more for a dating app won’t automatically change your prospects, but editing your profile might.
Source: CNBC