Ten years after the launch of Tinder, many long-term online daters report feeling overwhelmed and burned out from swiping. People in the throes of burnout tend to feel depleted and cynical. For some, the only real option may be to quit the dating apps cold turkey; for others, it may be about finding smaller ways to set boundaries.
"People just get overwhelmed with the whole dating process," said Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and chief science adviser to Match.com. While 12% of Americans have married or been in a committed relationship with someone they met online through dating apps, 57% of those who have tried a dating app say their experience was somewhat, if not very, positive. There are strategies users can try to feel less burned out, one of which may be to simply slow down and talk to fewer matches at once. Bumble encourages users to "browse mindfully" and "stay balanced". "People binge, and that is what exhausts them," Dr. Fisher said. "You have to give your mind a break."