Tinder Revealed The Top 2022 Dating Trends & Here's What Gets People Swiping Left
Dinner dates need to die, apparently.
A couple stands outside at night. Right: Tinder app.
Young singles who use Tinder are done with dinner dates and drinks. The dating app's annual "Year in Swipe" report found Gen Zers are ditching traditional meet-ups in favour of more creative outings. It also revealed the top trait turn-offs that hinder a match.
Authenticity when meeting a potential mate proved to be a key consideration, with swipers thumbing their noses (and screens) away from perceived negativity. The π Ώ emoji that originally stood for 'Parking' has been repurposed to mean 'Pushin P' or keeping it real, becoming Tinder's trending emoji this year β a move away from the relatable π€¦ in 2019, π€· in 2020 and π in 2021.
Tinder bios in 2022 saw a rise in mention of picnics (43%), mini golf (56%) and drive-ins (34%). Outdoor activities involving camping, BBQs and street food all made it into the top 10 trending global interests.
Singles are also soaking up sober dates. Over 25% of surveyed young singles on Tinder said they drink less on dates compared to last year. Not only did the π»and π· emojis decrease on Tinder profiles (40% and 25%, respectively), but nearly three in four Tinder users indicated they donβt drink or only drink occasionally on their profiles.
Situationships β the casual, in-between, not-quite-relationship status β saw a 49% rise in Tinder bios this year. Users are keen to use the undefined couple title to their advantage and start relationships off with less pressure.
The top-sought feature when perusing profiles was a sense of humour, followed by clarity. Around 73% of surveyed singles, across genders, said they were looking for someone who is open about what they want. Good hygiene was also high on the list of desirable qualities.
In terms of preferred traits, priority was placed on loyalty (79%), respect (78%) and open-mindedness (61%) over appearance (56%) this year. Most singles wanted a match who is invested in social issues (75%).
Mention of activism increased a whopping 84% on profiles. The Ukrainian flag also featured on so many accounts that it ranked in the top 10 trending emojis on the app at one point.
Singles are more aware of π©(red flags) and signs of π« (gaslighting) than ever. Over half (58%) of surveyed Tinder users confidently claimed they could identify a green or red flag when dating.
And the stars seemed to align on matches this year with zodiacs signs most likely to match with each other. Star signs became the most popular type of descriptor added to Tinder profiles just behind smoking preferences, pets and diet. Leos, Scorpios and Cancers were the signs most likely to advertise their signs on their profiles (which is so Leo, Scorpio and Cancer of them).
Overall, it seems that standards are up across the board, so dating hopefuls will need to polish their profiles to find their Mx., Ms. or Mr. Right (Swipe).
