Digital Love

Are Millennials Actually Finding Love On Dating Apps?

Single millennials discuss whether or not real romance can come from swiping right.

by Lauren Tegtmeyer

When you set up a profile on an online dating app, what are you looking for? Many using dating apps to find casual connections — friends, friends with benefits, sex, or maybe even a one-night stand. Others take to Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and the rest in search of something more. But in the world of online dating, can you actually find real, lasting love by swiping right? And, more importantly, do millennials even want to?

According to some researching, as many as 83% of millennials would prefer to meet the loves of their life IRL, not on a dating app. It makes sense: There's nothing quite like an organic spark with someone you meet out in the wild.

However, dating culture has significantly changed since the rise of the apps; so even though millennials might want to meet someone IRL instead of online, swiping left and right is widely considered the most common way to meet someone new. In fact, since 2013, more heterosexual people have met their partners online than any other way.

Despite the success of dating apps, they do have their limitations. Much like social media, dating apps can create a false sense of comparison between you and the people you're swiping on. In fact, according to one study, people who haven't used dating apps at all tend to view themselves more positively than those who have. Additionally, millennials are more likely to actually feel addicted to dating apps, which could lead to dating burnout — and subsequently, far less of a chance of finding love.

For Bustle's Digital Love, a series that explores dating and relationships in the digital age, we sat down with a group of millennials to discuss whether or not they've found love on a dating apps. Hear their stories — some of them wins, some of them losses — in the video above.

Executive Creative Director: Lauren Sofair

Executive Producer: Whitney Buxton

Producer: Lauren Tegtmeyer

Director of Photography: Marshall Stief Camera Operator: Sam Cowan

Design Director: Andenew Ayele

Motion Designer: Jeff Donlan

Editor: Jasmine Velez

Video Assistant: Sasha Mahmood