“There has been a change in the demographics of the 18-28 year olds, with Millennials which adopted Tinder right from the get-go being phased out of this cohort by Gen Zers,” was how UBS explained what happened at Tinder.
Within Tinder’s success lay a weakness. The app’s popularity led to negative behaviour. Basic courtesy faded, as people didn’t worry if they caused offence. Rejection didn’t matter. There was always someone new to engage with. This is known as the network effect, which refers to a business or organisation, such as a phone network, that becomes more valuable the more people join. When everyone is a participant, the network becomes indispensable – and incredibly valuable.Within Tinder, though, the effect doesn’t seem to be working.