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Swipe Right? Tinder, Commitment and the Commercialisation of Intimate Life

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Abstract

This chapter explores the posited commercialisation of intimate relationships and the threat that this is perceived to pose to traditional forms of commitment (Illouz, Cold Intimacies: The Making of Emotional Capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007; Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2012). It draws on a qualitative study of heterosexual male Tinder users, with analysis undermining the distinction between ‘hook-ups’ and long-term commitment, as participants began all encounters casually before they potentially developed further. Encounters initiated on the app were dominated by heteronormative scripts, reflecting wider structural gender inequalities rather than fundamentally challenging them. On the basis of these findings, there is limited evidence to suggest that the use of dating apps such as Tinder reflects either the emancipatory potential of the Internet or the commercialisation of intimate life.
van Hoo, J (2019) ‘Swipe right? Tinder, commitment and
commodication’ in Romantic Relationships in a Time of Cold
Intimacies, edited by Julia Carter and Lorena Arocha, Palgrave
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  3(- 
  +
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)(8 
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
Commitment and individualisation:
 (" 
((#! (!)
9 43:57;
 4
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 '# (
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 ,#!
(- )(
(#!!*$(<0!
()' 
 (#
 -# '
(##*-$<1=!
 
E$(# 
 -!!(##
 (#- 
'#(#
#(<0!
#!
9 !#
600; 
=
   !
(&
,(  (
77!
' 6
@!'!- 
*( !#
$<D%  #+!
! 
/7et al=  
!(#  
(#$!# 

!!
!  E

((
* '$.00<?#
!  "#
#(
#!(
 # !(-!
 2!
# !'! , 
1F2/=!((# 
"#
G#(! 
77F>!et al1
#!!!
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2/=,<1 (!
*$*$ 
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H! (#-#
 ##!
(#
! 4 
!((H
2/= ( #!
#!2!
(* $
! ##!

,$= (
&  #
(( !
-.(('1F2/
(#I7)(G;!
 &# # 
     
*')$
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 # )(
 E(
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2!# 
 E(#
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 !# #   
 #
!(#
'(  #
#
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 #
#( #F#
!!#
6= (
!)()
! (  #
4'(!# 
!?(#!
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(/(#-*$!
 )6 !  
 # H00?F8?#
!#!! 
/#
J EF(##(#
! 
 ,G
2((et al?
!&  #4
!   
&# # 
! #E#
# ,;&#
 ##))
!K!
"%
#I7# 
(#G; -
# #
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   *')$ 
# !# 
!!
    
  
( !(#
,!
 ' 
J !#(
(K#(# 
&%(  
3 -
)#K*
()!)
$9et ?<D=J 
!  
4! ##
* /$./012  
#/./$(&)
)!#
!-) (
-#(# (
 ! -
+# #(!+#!
#(!#
(>'J!
!( ' 
G&#
#(# (
#(#
(!( !!
#6 

 #(!
I(#(#
##!
 '%#
(#
 
Method<
 !!#!
 )
L'#!!!-#
  (!1
!(# #
#.(('1!' )
!(* $%7( 
=<1 J 
 
!
%+ (
" 
#!
2!#:
!&#!!(
 !!
9! #E
EI#1 
!-!-
!
9)!(!#)-#
!(# #
#!'
(#!!##:M
;
($!'!!
' '#!(#!
'-!
#%(  
!!#! 
(!?D##!>!
>)H'!>'>
J !#
 ,!!
!'
#( ! #

Consuming and being consumed:
E!
!  
! # 
-3  * 
$(#! 
 ('
 !!#
!*#$
 (<
7(*##$$  !'
!-#. D1
%9?
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 * /$./01#
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#;
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 !  %!( #
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!<
4(##(#(( '
#-!$# (
!#!(# 
!/ (E# #
#$'. D1
(#*#$#!!
 !  (#6 
. 
 #!
-!(! 
O!# 
##
#  
)#
'! -
(
#<;H #
! #,*
#($<
N!'#N #!#
 #N!N#!#
$#(!
Shows me his prole. There are photos of him alone, with groups of
friends, skiing, playing football, travelling. ,=1
%!!# 
((#!#
 *$!- 
!( (!-
 ##(

##-  !
# !(#(
(6 (#(
(00
!!!!
!!  
##<
!#AB(
!-  '!#!&
(!'!G(=D
)!
(- !
# *($
!##
!#"'#
' 
 '2! 
-# 
(! (#
9!*#
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 
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H  (
   
O!'!##
(   (
!
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 !'*$;
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(!$A B#
'#!>!# 
# J=
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!! 
 7!'&
 *')$. <
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('  . D1
:#(#/(#!(#
 E
!!#
 &#K
# (# 7#-
 )! 
   
###(!
- !#
( ) 
2/=G( !
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 #%
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 !N
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!#  (!
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'#### !##!#
##G(=D
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 4#  
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!! (#!!
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#'($'!!'$
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  <!
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  #
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!* $#
# (( )
4!( 
(#! #!
###
( <D
:# !! *!
$! !!
#(!!#
!#!# 
 2!(#
*' )$( 
 (
#('
*$K,=E
 '
 #
!'# !
?
*#$  )
 (
Conclusion:
9(# 
 !#+#

 #)(
! ( 
!K 
 !2$ 
00D$#!:# 
# #($
-$#(#$
% !! !##
  
(# !!
4#!
( "'#"K
#  ( 
#
<D=!
# #(

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#!##(
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 (#(
 21$
 !
((!H!
('  )!  
"# (!(#
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&(
( #
 !K
!!
2/=4
!-  
 ## 
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References:
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JEG3$3
E' 4#E>'%6@<H 
E;)0=
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7 G!?<;)DD
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... In recent years, dating apps have become a popular way for people to connect and find romantic partners (Anzani et al., 2018;Hobbs et al., 2017;Portolan & Hodkinson, 2016). While there are concerns about the superficial nature of the app and the potential for the 'objectification of users', Tinder remains a popular choice for those looking for casual or serious relationships van Hooff, 2019). Objectification of users on dating apps like Tinder refers to treating individuals primarily as objects of visual assessment rather than as complete people with personalities and emotions (van Hooff, 2019). ...
... While there are concerns about the superficial nature of the app and the potential for the 'objectification of users', Tinder remains a popular choice for those looking for casual or serious relationships van Hooff, 2019). Objectification of users on dating apps like Tinder refers to treating individuals primarily as objects of visual assessment rather than as complete people with personalities and emotions (van Hooff, 2019). This often occurs due to the app's focus on quick, appearance-based judgments through swiping, which can reduce users to mere images, emphasize physical attractiveness, and lead to more superficial, impersonal interactions (Regan, 2022). ...
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Chapter
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Chapter
Fifty women gathered in June 2003 at a television news conference to announce they had all been duped by a man they had met online: US Army Col. Kassem Saleh, a military officer whom each had met via an online dating site, had been wooing all 50 women simultaneously, even going so far as to propose to many of them, despite the fact that he was already married to another woman. At least two of the unwitting women had already bought wedding gowns before discovering the ruse. One woman called Colonel Saleh’s email love letters ‘intoxicating’ and another said they were ‘more romantic than the works of poets William Butler Yeats or Robert Browning’ (Kleinfeld, 2003). ‘You are my world, my life, my love and my universe’, Saleh allegedly wrote in an email love note to one of his many mistresses (Kleinfield, 2003).